OCTOBER 8, 2024 — Supporters of a new flag for Raleigh are set to present their proposal to the City Council, according to the local ABC 11 news. The design features Sir Walter Raleigh’s coat of arms—a red shield adorned with five silver diamonds—integrated with the city’s iconic acorn emblem, which represents Raleigh’s identity as the “City of Oaks.”
According to Raleigh newspaper The News & Observer, the existing flag dates back to 1899, when it was originally commissioned as a decorative gift for the USS Raleigh, a warship returning from the Spanish-American War. However, the flag was not completed in time for the ceremony and was stored away until its rediscovery and formal adoption two decades later.
On their website, advocates for the new flag argue that the current flag, adopted in 1960, fails to adhere to effective design standards. They criticize it for being overly complex, utilizing too many colors, and having illegible text and numbers, rendering it indistinct and uninspiring. “The original designers didn’t intend for it to be a flag that we’d actually fly. It simply doesn’t function well as an everyday flag,” said Brian Rineer, a supporter of the proposed design.
Image: The proposed flag, CC0 1.0