Making Detroit's Flag Our Symbol

Hello everyone! I'm Chris, also known as Detroit Raver, and I love how vibrant and genuine we are as a city, and as Michiganders.

I wanted to bring up the issue of our city's flag as I've been wanting something as a proud symbol we can carry everywhere as part of our civic pride. The city's core is growing, and there is a resurgence in the past few years that I haven't seen in this city for a long time. I know we Detroiters are fiercely proud of our city [[maybe not our city/county government) but we haven't had a strong symbol to unite us as Detroiters other than the Old English D of the Tigers and other sport symbols.

Now in support of this growth of Detroit, and for further progress we hope will come, I want to have a simple flag we can all fly and recognize. Now a few cities come to mind when you think of a really good flag, such as Chicago, DC, and Portland. At any random music festival, you can bet you will see the Chicago flags flown or worn everywhere, even by the suburbanites! Where are the Detroit flags?

Now I hope I'm not rambling too much, but vexillologists [[flag experts) point out that flags are best identified with when they are simple and lack a seal of the city or state. There's a good Ted Talk discussing this. I love our city's flag, and I appreciate the symbolism behind the seal, yet I can recognize when one should be separated from the other. I like how unique our history can be represented by our flag, but it doesn't need extra symbolism with the overly complicated clip-art.

That's why I took to removing the seal from the flag to show we can have a symbol that is easy enough to draw or color in, and fly or wear nationwide. Now I am posting this as a point of conversation and I wanna know what everyone thinks of this idea. Thanks! :D
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FYI from WSU library Detroit News collection. I always liked the "Resurget Cineribus" part of the motto but never cared much for the two women graphic.

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Is there a significance to the 13 stars? I like that there are 13 [[born under a bad sign etc), but the arrangement seems to be a relic of the center doodad.

Definitely an interesting photo. I like that it's our city's motto, it's very fitting for our seal. I like the more detailed, artistic image of the seal in that window too. Nice find!

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Originally Posted by gvidas

Is there a significance to the 13 stars? I like that there are 13 [[born under a bad sign etc), but the arrangement seems to be a relic of the center doodad.

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13 stars for the 13 original American states. A part of me wanted to put the original arrangement of stars in the first American flag, rows of 3-2-3-2-3. For simplicity's sake I kept the current arrangement.

Remember that idea to remove street cars from the city?
This idea is pretty much equal.

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Originally Posted by Detroit Raver

Hello everyone! I'm Chris, also known as Detroit Raver, and I love how vibrant and genuine we are as a city, and as Michiganders.

I wanted to bring up the issue of our city's flag as I've been wanting something as a proud symbol we can carry everywhere as part of our civic pride. The city's core is growing, and there is a resurgence in the past few years that I haven't seen in this city for a long time. I know we Detroiters are fiercely proud of our city [[maybe not our city/county government) but we haven't had a strong symbol to unite us as Detroiters other than the Old English D of the Tigers and other sport symbols.

Now in support of this growth of Detroit, and for further progress we hope will come, I want to have a simple flag we can all fly and recognize. Now a few cities come to mind when you think of a really good flag, such as Chicago, DC, and Portland. At any random music festival, you can bet you will see the Chicago flags flown or worn everywhere, even by the suburbanites! Where are the Detroit flags?

Now I hope I'm not rambling too much, but vexillologists [[flag experts) point out that flags are best identified with when they are simple and lack a seal of the city or state. There's a good Ted Talk discussing this. I love our city's flag, and I appreciate the symbolism behind the seal, yet I can recognize when one should be separated from the other. I like how unique our history can be represented by our flag, but it doesn't need extra symbolism with the overly complicated clip-art.

That's why I took to removing the seal from the flag to show we can have a symbol that is easy enough to draw or color in, and fly or wear nationwide. Now I am posting this as a point of conversation and I wanna know what everyone thinks of this idea. Thanks! :D
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I find this arrangement more appealing, and since the USA took over Detroit in 1796.... this would have been the flag that flew over Fort Lernoult [[later called Fort Shelby)...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...anner_flag.svg

That 15 star flag included Vermont and Kentucky, which were added to the Union in 1791 and 1792.

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Originally Posted by rjlj

Remember that idea to remove street cars from the city?
This idea is pretty much equal.

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Not really. Flag designers pretty much all agree that seals do not belong on flags. On letterhead, fine; but not on fabric that is meant to be flapping in the wind.

Check out what the Flag Committee of the Confederate States of America had to say about flag design in 1861; they are pretty similar to what vexillologists say today:

A flag should be simple, readily made, and capable of being made up in bunting; it should be different from the flag of any other country, place or people; it should be significant;
it should be readily distinguishable at a distance; the colors should be well contrasted and durable; and lastly, and
not the least important point, it should be effective and handsome.

The flags of a great many states [[Michigan included) with the state seal on a blue field violate all of those guidelines.

It's still way too busy.

I would vote for making the entire flag either only the bottom left quadrant or only the bottom right quadrant.

Stick to the Detroit "D" as it our most recognizable symbol.

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Originally Posted by Detroit Raver

Hello everyone! I'm Chris, also known as Detroit Raver, and I love how vibrant and genuine we are as a city, and as Michiganders.

I wanted to bring up the issue of our city's flag as I've been wanting something as a proud symbol we can carry everywhere as part of our civic pride. The city's core is growing, and there is a resurgence in the past few years that I haven't seen in this city for a long time. I know we Detroiters are fiercely proud of our city [[maybe not our city/county government) but we haven't had a strong symbol to unite us as Detroiters other than the Old English D of the Tigers and other sport symbols.

Now in support of this growth of Detroit, and for further progress we hope will come, I want to have a simple flag we can all fly and recognize. Now a few cities come to mind when you think of a really good flag, such as Chicago, DC, and Portland. At any random music festival, you can bet you will see the Chicago flags flown or worn everywhere, even by the suburbanites! Where are the Detroit flags?

Now I hope I'm not rambling too much, but vexillologists [[flag experts) point out that flags are best identified with when they are simple and lack a seal of the city or state. There's a good Ted Talk discussing this. I love our city's flag, and I appreciate the symbolism behind the seal, yet I can recognize when one should be separated from the other. I like how unique our history can be represented by our flag, but it doesn't need extra symbolism with the overly complicated clip-art.

That's why I took to removing the seal from the flag to show we can have a symbol that is easy enough to draw or color in, and fly or wear nationwide. Now I am posting this as a point of conversation and I wanna know what everyone thinks of this idea. Thanks! :D
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How about simplifying it a lot more: One star, one fleur de lis, one lion and maybe the lower right half red and half white?

Don't listen. The intensity and variety is great. Detroit is a weird city full of bubbles and islands that are shockingly different from one another.

Maryland's flag is similarly loud. I've never been to a place where people so fiercely love their flag. [[For example, who here gives half a damn about the Michigan flag? Is it on any object you own?)

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I am not one who cares much for flags or symbols, but the one pictured looks like four, stitched together. Noisy. Pick one and have your fun!

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Originally Posted by gvidas

[[For example, who here gives half a damn about the Michigan flag? Is it on any object you own?)

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Well seeing as I own the flag of Michigan, it's on there! :rolleyes:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...f_Montreal.svg

This is Montreal's flag. Pick your ethnicity...

I really like the present city flag; vexillologists be damned.

Your flag is a huge improvement, but I think our flag is still ugly lol

Chicago has a really nice one.

But I think "We hope for better things" and "It will rise from the ashes" are absolutely perfect. They made sense after the fire, they make sense now, and even if in hundreds of years Detroit is in great shape they still imply a slow grind towards hard earned progress and a perpetual state of imperfection.