(Photo courtesy of Benjamin Heffner) “Dome of the Massachusetts State House”
Alejandro Carter
Connector Contributor
The official state emblems of Massachusetts are up for redesign as the Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission enters round 3 of the decision making process. Beginning in 2024, but influenced by decades of controversy, the Massachusetts state flag, seal, and motto are being redesigned for the modern era.
The call for a redesign comes after decades of public outcry over the outdated and offensive symbolism present within the state’s current flag and seal, which date to 1908. The current seal, which is present on the state flag, features a Native American with a dangling sword held by an arm above. The state’s motto “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty” (translated from Latin) is listed below. The state seal (and by association, flag) reflect the violent and often overlooked history between the Massachusetts colonists and the Native Americans who were living on the grounds that were settled upon. While this violent symbolism is displayed directly on the state flag and seal, many Massachusetts residents have no idea of its meaning. Professor Christoph Strobel, the chair of the UMass Lowell history department and a professor of Native American history says “there’s not much public awareness of [the flag and seal]”, highlighting the lack of knowledge in the Massachusetts public around the symbols’ history. This imagery is exactly what the committee for the flag redesign seeks to address and change.
State flags are something which simply do not receive much attention by the public, usually only ever being flown outside of statehouses and other government facilities. Therefore, it is not unlikely for many to be unaware of what their flag means, or how it looks entirely. Strobel says “I give a lot of public talks [on] New England indigenous history […] [and] the seal is often something that I start out with, and people are just like ‘woah, this is all in there?’”. Strobel’s commentary gives light to an issue that many Massachusetts residents are unaware of, that being their lack of knowledge about the history around the Massachusetts Bay Colony and its violent encounters with Native American groups. When asked about college students’ knowledge about the flag, Christian Boucher, a history major and member of the UMass Lowell History Club says “maybe a couple” of students are aware of the history. Reflecting Boucher’s sentiments, Strobel believes that only “a small number” of the general Massachusetts public truly know the history displayed on their state flag.
While the committee for the redesign of the state symbols began in 2024, the official process is still underway. When asked about the flag redesign, Boucher affirms “I’m sure people are aware that it’s going to be changed”. However, there has not been much publicity regarding the redesign process, and it has been almost 2 years since the committee’s creation. At this point in time, there are three finalists for each category, those categories being the flag, the seal, and the state motto. Hearings were held across Massachusetts to receive public input on which designs should be considered for the new state icons. At this time, three finalists have been selected for each category.
Public disapproval of the current Massachusetts state flag has been growing for decades. Stobel recounts that as early as the 90s, there have been talks throughout the state to redesign the flag. Reflecting this decades-long battle for the removal of offensive imagery, In 1989 the Massachusetts Turnpike logo, which depicted a pilgrim’s hat with an arrow going through it, was redesigned to be just a pilgrim’s hat. This change reflects a sentiment throughout the general public to redesign the state’s icons, many of which feature offensive imagery.
The redesign surrounding the flag highlights a larger trend in the United States in recent years. A few states now have come forward and redesigned their flags, either to remove offensive imagery or simply to give a fresh take on previously disliked designs. Most notably, Mississippi voted to redesign its flag, which featured the Battle Flag of the Confederate States of America in the top left corner. In June 2020, the newly selected flag was voted in, removing the original design and implementing a new design featuring the state’s official flower. Other states have followed suit, such as Utah in March 2024 and Minnesota in May 2024. Nick Londono, a New Hampshire resident and student at UMass Lowell, says that “if [any state’s flag] is controversial, it should definitely be changed. Especially if [the original design] comes at the cost of another group”. While not every flag changed has featured controversial symbolism, this shift of states redesigning their emblems is indicative of a broader trend in the United States. Offensive icons of the past, such as statues of Confederate army generals in the South, have been the subject of public criticism and removal over recent years, as the general public has become more aware of the meaning behind the icons around them. While Strobel agrees that a redesign is in order for the Massachusetts flag, he also believes that “the past is something that’s in the past, and that we should be critically engaging with”. Strobel continues “it’s important to acknowledge [past mistakes] so that you, as a country, or as a people, don’t make the same mistakes that people have in the past”.
The three finalists for the state flag can be found on the Massachusetts official government website at mass.gov, where the current three finalists for the state seal and motto are also listed. The future states’ symbols will be voted upon going forward by the committee, with public opinion also taken into account. Massachusetts residents seeking to submit their feedback on the currently selected designs and selection process are encouraged to do so by contacting the committee at their official email, massflagandsealfeedback@mass.gov.
