A Massachusetts fee has chosen three finalists to doubtlessly change the Bay State’s present flag, seal and motto.
Though residents will quickly have the ability to weigh in, the Herald wished to ask our readers first: Which flag would you wish to see symbolize the Bay State? Or, ought to the state preserve the present one? Full our ballot right here.
The Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Fee was established in 2024 “to make recommendations for the adoption of a new design” for the Commonwealth’s seal, flag and motto.
It’s the second panel in search of to deal with the flag’s design after the primary one disbanded in 2023 with out providing substitutes. The fee will solicit public opinion on the finalists by way of hearings this fall earlier than presenting the ultimate design to Gov. Maura Healey.
Designs could also be reworked after public suggestions, based on at the least one report.
The strikes come after Native American activists spent many years calling for a change to the present seal, which depicts a Native American man and above his head is an arm holding a sword.
The entire new flag design finalists current a nod to the Massachusetts Indigenous communities.
One flag reveals six turkey feathers, since Massachusetts was the sixth to affix the union and turkey feathers play a task in Massachusetts Indigenous communities, based on the submitter. Its crimson colour represents training, as featured in lots of Massachusetts universities comparable to UMass Amherst and Harvard.
A floral flag design showcases the state flower entrance and heart. The five-petaled Mayflower, a logo of the Pilgrim historical past in Massachusetts, additionally has been used for medicinal functions for Indigenous peoples within the Northeast, based on the submitter. The petals are formed just like the shields within the present flag, with a six-point gold star coloured just like the State Home.
“The Blue Hill Banner” flag proposal contains a blue hill with waves, depicting the state’s terrain and namesake. The Bay State was named for the Massachusett tribe, roughly translating to “at the great hill,” based on the submitter. The flag additionally contains a yellow eight-point star just like the form of a compass rose, representing Massachusetts’ maritime historical past.
Eight-point stars additionally maintain varied meanings throughout religions.
See the submitters’ full notes right here to study extra concerning the three finalists for Massachusetts’ state flag, and tell us in our ballot which flag is your favourite.
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