Minnesota state flag redesign has sparked an intense backlash online. According to the Epoch Times News, a preliminary design to replace Minnesota’s current state flag triggered a backlash on social media for its similarities with a regional flag in Somalia. It’s since been rejected in favor of a different design.
The Minnesota House and Senate have passed legislation requiring a new state flag and state seal, as the previous design, displaying a white settler plowing a field while a Native American rides away into the sunset on a horse, has been characterized as racist and offensive. This decision spurred a 13-member State Emblems Redesign Commission with the task of developing a new state flag.
Tempers flared when the commission unveiled a preliminary selection of the design. It features a simplified shape of Minnesota on the left in dark blue, and a representation of the North Star in the center. However, controversy erupted online as many voiced concerns that the design closely resembled the flag from the Puntland state of Somalia. This national flag also contains a blue, white, and green bar, with a white star at the top.
Critics pointed out that this similarity is especially noteworthy as Minnesota has a large population of Somali residents and is represented by Ilhan Omar, who came to America as a refugee from Somalia and caucuses with socialist factions in Congress.
The backlash was significant enough that the commission ultimately decided to adopt a different design in response to the controversy. The new design depicts a white star representing the North Star on a dark blue shape representing Minnesota on the left, and the remainder of the design on the right is a lighter shade of blue.
Despite the change, critics on social media continued to voice their discontent. A viral social media post showing a comparison between the proposed Minnesota flag and the Somali state flag of Puntland gained 5.2 million views, with the post mockingly suggesting the similarities between the flags were “just a coincidence.”
While Rep. Omar has remained mostly silent on the controversy, she did publicly express her approval of the final design and took a swipe at critics who insinuated her involvement.
The museum believes that the movement to redesign the flag has more to do with destabilizing the nation-state system than the flag itself. It suggests that changing flags and renaming buildings are part of an effort to tear down Western civilization, driven by neo-Marxist ideals. The group argues that this left-wing faction of American citizens wants to replace America’s system as outlined by the Founding Fathers.
The commission is being urged to submit new designs for the flag and seal by January 1, 2024. Barring any rejection by the Legislature, the new designs will become official as of Statehood Day on April 1, 2024. All of these changes from state to state underscore the influence of modern, often heated, political and cultural narratives.
