From Fortune:

Minnesota is set to get a new state flag this spring, replacing one that brought up painful memories for Native Americans. The new flag features a dark blue shape resembling Minnesota with a white, eight-pointed North Star and a light blue field symbolizing the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The new emblems will become official on May 11 unless rejected by the Legislature.

The new flag was designed by a commission that included design experts and members of tribal and other communities of color. More than 2,600 proposals were submitted by the public. The commission picked a design by Andrew Prekker, 24, as the base design and made some changes to it. The significance of the light blue area in the new flag to the commission’s chairman, Luis Fitch, is that it represents the Mississippi River, which originates in Minnesota, pointing to the North Star.

Public reaction to the new flag has been mixed. While supporters hope it will grow on people, some criticism has circulated, including misinformation about the design. The change is important to many Native Americans in the state. But two Republican lawmakers who were nonvoting members of the commission objected to putting the Dakota name for Minnesota on the seal, and Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon said a referendum would probably be unconstitutional.

While the new flag might strike some as uninspired, it is important to many Native Americans in a state where there are 11 federally recognized Ojibwe and Dakota tribes. Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan tweeted that the new state flag represents every Minnesotan, while Sen. Mary Kunesh said the more than 2,600 submissions and lively public debate showed Minnesotans care deeply about their state. An Indigenous graphic designer is already selling T-shirts online that bear the new design and say, “At least the flag isn’t racist anymore.”

Several other states have also been redesigning flags, including Utah, Mississippi, Michigan, Illinois, and Maine. Some other states considering changing their flags include Michigan, Illinois, and Maine.



Read more: Why did Minnesota change state flag to be less racist and what does it look like?