Here’s What Towns are Doing to Change The Offensive Massachusetts Flag

Massachusetts is known for being a diverse and accepting state. We welcome folks from all walks of life with open arms. With that said, it's interesting that for being a progressive state, Massachusetts is still represented with a flag that, to many, is offensive and outdated.

Get our free mobile app

If you haven't looked at the flag in a while, the flag and seal feature a white hand holding a Colonial sword poised above the head of an Indigenous figure, with a Latin motto beneath, commonly translated: 'She seeks a quiet peace with liberty under the sword."

A change to the state symbol has been something being pushed by several groups for more than 40 years, yet this is still the symbol that represents Massachusetts. I recently spoke with David Detmold from Change The Mass Flag and he said that the push to change the Bay State's flag is running strong and is gaining steam. As a matter of fact, he mentioned that since 2018, "82 cities and towns in Massachusetts, including the Berkshire County towns of Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lee and Becket, have taken formal votes in support of changing the flag and seal of Massachusetts; eight town meetings have voted against the change." He said that "this democratic grassroots push heavily favoring a new state symbol helped move the issue forward after decades of delay."

READ MORE: The 7 Most Wanted Fugitives by Massachusetts State Police

It makes sense to me, especially since children are still being taught about the current Massachusetts flag and seal in schools today. Detmold said in our interview that "he thinks it would be a very hard question for a third-grade social studies teacher to reply to a student asking, Why is there a sword being held over the head of an Indigenous figure?" Detmold said that "he's sure that question has been asked in our public classrooms." Detmold shared that he has also seen Indigenous parents in tears at statehouse hearings because their children attend public schools, too.

The next town to decide on whether or not it supports changing the Massachusetts flag is Sheffield. The vote will take place at Sheffield's Annual Town Meeting on May 4th. But before that meeting, Detmold will give a presentation detailing the history and design elements of the present flag, seal, and motto of Massachusetts and an update on the work of an advisory commission established by the state legislature to come up with a new design. Questions and answers will follow the presentation. This informational meeting will be held at the Bushnell Sage Library in Sheffield on February 26 at 6 PM.

In addition to the upcoming presentation in Sheffield, Detmold mentioned in our interview that "if people from other towns around Sheffield and Great Barrington who have yet to place this in front of the annual town meeting voters they can contact Change The Mass Flag and I (David) would be very happy to come to your town and do a similar informational meeting and help them gather the reuired 10 signatures of registerd voters."

Detmold mentioned, "This is the first time in 140 years that the commonwealth has undertaken a review of its state symbol." He said, "That affects every town and every elementary school in every town. Every town in Massachusetts should have the opportunity to weigh in on this and push the legislation forward." You can learn more about the Change The Mass Flag initiative by going here.