2. “This is actually a really huge step,” said Jean-Luc Pierite, President of the North American Indian Center of Boston. This page is dedicated to petitioning to change the flag of Massachusetts to a more symbolic symbol. The flag (and the seal) have received criticism for its depiction of a Native American man beneath a faceless arm weilding a broadsword. At least the Massachusetts’ flag isn’t the state seal on a blue field: it’s the state seal on a white field. Even for Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, the flag was somehow hidden in plain sight for years. Nonetheless, the majority of the states' flags share the same design pattern consisting of the state seal superimposed on a monochrome background, commonly a shade of blue. We haven’t paid enough attention to their needs, concerns, and voices.”. By the sword we seek peace, but peace under liberty. On the other hand, it’s important to remember that changing a symbol can never fix all the hurt it represents. Let's Redesign The Flag of Massachusetts. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Lexikon Verlag, 1992. Baker Approves Commission To Redesign Massachusetts State Seal By CBSBoston.com Staff January 12, 2021 at 11:09 am Filed Under: Boston News , Massachusetts Flag , State Flag Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Charlie Baker on Monday, January 11th, 2021 signed (S.2848) – the resolve calling for the creation of a special commission to study and recommend a new or revised state seal and motto. A lead sponsor of the bill says passing this puts the state senate on the right side of history. Vex Obsessed added a new photo to the album: Project USA. DESCRIPTION: The current version of the Massachusetts flag was officially adopted is 1908, and revised in 1971. This project his been delayed indefinitely due to work related to responding to the coronavirus global pandemic. In November, Mississippi voters chose to replace their old state flag, which held a canton of the Confederate battle flag, with a depiction of a white magnolia blossom. A lead sponsor of the bill says passing this puts the state senate on the right side of history. I don’t think Massachusetts has that and I think this gives us an opportunity to do so.”, The year 2020 was also the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock. As a result of the Black Lives Matter movement and more focus on racial justice, this issue has come to the forefront,” State Senator Jason Lewis, a Democrat from Winchester, told WBZ-TV. “We want a flag that expresses where we want to go and what our best selves are.”. Lawmaker Jo Comerford, also of Northampton, who co-sponsored the measure with Lewis in the State Senate, said the occasion should be “an inflection point in the Commonwealth.”. A commission will be created to recommend a new seal and motto for Massachusetts, after Gov. “Symbols are important,” she said, pointing to the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. Massachusetts Flag. English: Flag of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts, featuring the imagined likeliness of pioneer Samuel Chapin, possibly modelled on John Brown or railroad tycoon and congressman Chester Chapin, as depicted in the The Puritan statue. Governor Charlie Baker signed the measure on Monday. So after 34 years of flag legislation sitting practically unnoticed, despite Rushing submitting it to the floor for 17 consecutive sessions, it passed unanimously in the House and Senate this year. “We go to city council meetings, and it's there. BOSTON (CBS) — The Massachusetts’ Senate has unanimously passed a bill to create a committee to study and redesign the state seal. People are proud to have that flag. “Re-examining racist symbols is a very important part of reckoning with our history,” Lewis said. For one, previous moves to change the flag were practically ignored in the State House for more than 30 years. “Changing the flag doesn’t do much for us, except for maybe getting that sword [out from] over the top of our head.”. “We’re talking about imagery that is very evocative of the violence and the intergenerational trauma that our local community has faced. Download Massachusetts flag stock photos. 17 likes. With a new flag, Massachusetts would fly a symbol of ‘slaughter and attempted genocide’ no more. “We want Massachusetts to be a welcoming place for all people and that’s why it’s important that our official emblems reflect that,” Lewis said. But some — including the politicians who sponsored the resolution this session — expressed hope in light of the increased activism and social awareness of 2020. Rioters waved Confederate and American flags as they stormed the US capitol last week. It has been represented by official but limited-purpose flags since 1676, though until 1908 it had no state flag per se to represent its government. Today, in an era when we’re asking whether offensive statues and flags belong in the public square, a seal-and-flag redesign could be the beginning of remembrance in Massachusetts. “The flag should be changed,” Peters said. As the measure mandates, a special commission will recommend changes and develop educational plans once the new symbol is introduced. BOSTON (SHNS) – In a moment that spoke to the political charge permeating throughout the state amid debate over racial justice and pandemic … www.reddit.com Everyday life gets just a little bit easier. Darauf abgebildet ist Massachusetts Siegel, welches einen Indianer vom Stamm der Massachuset zeigt. They drafted policies, petitions, talked to politicians. The shield and star are taken directly from the current flag, the star representing our place in the US. “While we change the flag we’d have an opportunity to talk about what’s been done to Indian populations. According to Kaye’s “Good Flag, Bad Flag” guide, there are five core principles of good flag design: 1. The commission revising the seal would be made up of five members who are descendants of tribes with a historical presence in Massachusetts, four members appointed by the governor and the executive directors of several groups, including the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs and the Massachusetts Historical Commission. “But when I think about it, the flag is actually a true depiction of what’s happened to us over these generations — even now. The shield depicts an Algonquian Native American with bow and arrow; the arrow is pointed downward, signifying peace. Massachusetts Senate Unanimously Approves Bill Reviewing Controversial State Seal, Flag BOSTON (CBS) — The Massachusetts’ Senate has unanimously passed a bill to create a committee to study and redesign the state seal. August 20, 2019 Massachusetts state flag redesign. The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts displays, on both sides, the state coat of arms centered on a white field. The flags of the U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. “Their new flag seems like something the state kind of rallied behind. A version of this legislation was first filed in 1985. Flagge von Massachusetts (deutsche Beschreibung) Literatur. It features a centered coat of arms (and shield) on a white field. It is well time for us to reconcile with that image,” Pierite told WBZ. Massachusetts also stands out as one of only two states to have its own naval ensign in addition to the Massachusetts state flag. And while the flag is seemingly everywhere, it’s easy to overlook. Rioters waved Confederate and American flags as they stormed the US capitol last week. The 19th-century seal, which appears in the center of the state flag, depicts a colonist’s arm holding a sword above the image of an Algonquian warrior. “The flag memorializes the slaughter and attempted genocide of the multiple Native peoples in Massachusetts,” she said via Zoom this week. Longstanding symbols of racism have started to fall. “We do have Mississippi as a guide,” said Representative Lindsay Sabadosa, of Northampton, a sponsor of the legislation in the House. The commission is to include 20 people, including five direct descendants of tribes “with a historical presence in the commonwealth.”, “I think it is important for the seal of any state, commonwealth or tribe, to represent history, but also be aspirational,” said Solomon, who may be chosen to join the commission. 2632 x 3464 jpeg 489kB. The Flag Institute (Hrsg. The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the flag of Massachusetts. Children won’t see the flag when they visit the state capitol. A variant of the white flag with blue seal was carried by each of the Massachusetts volunteer regiments during the Civil War alongside the National Colors. Affordable and search from millions of royalty free images, photos and vectors. In order to create a flag that incorporates citizen input and ideas, we will be offering multiple opportunities for citizen engagement. Flagge von Massachusetts. Keep it simple, so that they can be seen both from far away and while flapping in the wind 2. His arrow is pointing downward - representing peace. When the commission’s members spoke up about the flag time and time again, they received little government support, Peters recalled. The seal features a Native American man and above his head is an arm holding a sword. Some used flagpoles to beat a police officer to the ground. Cuomo to skip Biden inauguration amid concerns over threats to Albany, other state capitals. Massachusetts Flag Redesign from /r/vexillology Top comment: Despite MA having one of the most tolerable state-seal-on-a-bedsheet flags in The Union, I decided to take another crack at updating it. “There is a critical consciousness and a deepened understanding that we have a responsibility to right some historic wrongs,” Comerford said. My variant takes as inspiration historical New England pine tree flags (based on the English Red Ensign) that were flown during the Revolutionary War. “The fact that this is happening may help some people understand that there are Native people here, there have been Native people here for 10,000 years, and we’re still here, and we’re going to continue to be here and we actually have been and continue to be an essential part of the history of this place.”, Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, California officials tie several large outbreaks to another variant, Gov. But after that, I guess the conversation will be over,” Peters said. Be distinctive or be related, meaning that fl… Governor Baker Signs the Bill Establishing a Special Commission to Change the Mass Flag and Seal. His father, the late Wampanoag leader John Peters Sr. — whose traditional name was Slow Turtle — was director of the commission for nearly 20 years before he took over. Abkürzung: MA: Name: Massachusetts: Hauptstadt: Boston: Größte Stadt: Boston: Bevölkerung: 6 692 824 (2013) Gesamtfläche: 27 335 km 2: Mitglied seit: 6. ISBN 3-89225-402-8; Karl-Heinz Hesmer: Flaggen und Wappen der Welt. Six stripes for the sixth state. Newspapers and social media feeds have been inundated with photos of flags and all their complicated symbolism. Others wore imagery borrowed from flags on their clothing or painted across their bodies. 8 Followers, 48 Following, 1 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Massachusetts Flag Redesign (@massflagredesign) Use two to three basic colors — generally, red, blue, green, black, yellow, or white 4. Its roots go back to 1629, before Boston was incorporated as a city within the Massachusetts Bay Colony. A move to redesign the Massachusetts state flag arrived at an interesting time. No lettering or seals, which defeat the fundamental symbolic purpose of a flag 5. The Senate hopes the commission can come up with recommendations for a new seal by October 2021. It doesn’t represent us.”, Passing the resolution was just the beginning of the process. That shield displays an image of a Native American Indian. Redesign the Massachusetts State Flag Mike Tremblay started this petition to Senator Elizabeth Warren and The Massachusetts State Flag is rooted in history. The Massachusetts flag was the first state (commonwealth) flag to feature a plain white field and, for about 50 years, was a rare two-sided design. On Jan. 5, just one day before the insurrection, the Massachusetts Legislature voted to form a commission to study and recommend permanent changes to the state seal and motto. The sword represents the swinging arm of Myles Standish, a British military officer hired by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, who killed hundreds of Native people in the area around Massachusetts. 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I redesigned the flags of some Connecticut cities! After being ignored for so many years, he isn’t holding out hope for real change. A surge of white interest in the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired critical conversations about race and inequality across the United States. “It’s upsetting that this has taken so long to pass,” said State Senator Jason Lewis, of Winchester, who co-sponsored the new version of the measure. Native American tribal leaders and activists have been calling for a change to the state seal for decades. It’s been a long time coming. A movement is underway to revise the Massachusetts state flag. r/vexillology: A subreddit for those who enjoy flags, the history behind them, and their design characteristics. ): Nationalflaggen der Welt. A move to redesign the Massachusetts state flag arrived at an interesting time. “I think we just haven’t given enough attention to Indigenous people. John Peters Jr., executive director of the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, agreed with that assessment. Use meaningful symbolism, such as colors or shapes that represent something important to the community 3. Bundesstaaten Informationen. The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts displays, on both sides, the state coat of arms centered on a white field. ©2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Senate took a big step toward making that happen Tuesday night. Circling the man’s figure is a Latin motto that translates, roughly, as: “By the sword we seek peace, but peace under liberty.”. Others wore imagery borrowed from flags … The City of Cedar Rapids is undertaking the redesign of our city's flag, and we would like your feedback for the new design! And while she doesn’t believe changing the flag will directly improve the way Native Americans are treated in the Commonwealth, she sees plenty of possibilities for positive impact. That’s enough for Solomon. Hamburg: Edition Maritim, 2000. Amidst the backdrop of a fractious, fighting Congress, Ed Mitchell decided to come up with a single visual language that could be used to redesign every state flag. He holds a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. The shield depicts an Algonquian Native American with bow and arrow; the arrow is pointed downward, signifying peace. The Algonquian warrior, on the other hand, has his arrow pointed to the ground in submission, as Solomon pointed out. And yet, nothing was done until now. Not everybody believes that redesigning the flag would lead to lasting change. By viewing our video content, you are accepting the terms of our. The bill now goes to the House for consideration. Newspapers and social media feeds have been inundated with photos of flags and all their complicated symbolism. “You walk past the state flag a lot,” Sabadosa said. Laden Sie die Flagge von Massachusetts herunter; Die Flagge von Massachusetts wurde im Jahr 1971 übernommen. It represents the state. Geschichte und Symbolik der Flaggen und Wappen aller Staaten. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Finally, there is hope for momentum. A move to redesign the Massachusetts state flag arrived at an interesting time. Former state representative Byron Rushing, who long represented Boston’s South End, was the first to formally introduce the idea in 1985 after Native Americans protested the symbolism and advocated for change. Some used flagpoles to beat a police officer to the ground. The codified standards for the flag appear at least as early as 1924 in the ordinances of the City, with the flag reported designed and adopted in 1923. Some people find its imagery offensive. Massachusetts has represented itself with unique flags for far longer than many other states in America, but the Massachusetts flag was not authorized for official use until relatively recently. 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