New Wave

by Melissa Howsam | Mar 28, 2023 | April 2023, Buzz

“And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag.” Johnny Cash’s famed lyric well encapsulates a rising movement for a new Raleigh flag—because “a great city deserves a great flag,” naturally. The MO behind the grassroots movement to bring “an iconic flag to Raleigh,” the move is part of a larger wave across the nation for cities to make their flags relevant—and hangworthy. 

Why? Flashback to a 2015 TedTalk on “why city flags may be the ugliest thing you’ve never noticed.” Side note: Raise your hand if you knew Raleigh had a flag. Many of the smart, seasoned natives I polled did not. And, aye, there’s the rub. 

For reference, the two-sided original—est. in 1899 and sewed by Kate Denson (for the trivia buffs)—shows, on one side, an oak tree surrounded by oak leaves and acorns with the words “City of Raleigh North Carolina, Established 1792.” On the reverse, an antlered deer upon a red-and-silver twisted tress sits atop a section of Sir Walter Raleigh’s coat of arms, imagined as a red shield intersected by connecting silver “diamonds” above the words “Amore et Virtue” (or, in English, “By Love and Valor”). Sounds simple, right? 

The details are too complex and difficult to produce, explains Brian Rineer, one of the Raleighites leading the charge, who emphasized the updated eye-catching emblem’s simplicity and relevance, while retaining the essence of the historic flag. A flag, at its core, is an emblem that provides a sense of identity—a unifying symbol, a visual expression of civic pride. The new flag, which sports those five diamonds in a simplified iconic Raleigh acorn design, “doesn’t completely turn its back on the past—but pays homage to the past, while also moving the city forward, just as the city has moved forward over the years,” says Raleighite Joanne Sullivan, who first saw the revamped flag flying in the wild at neighbor Roland Kays’ abode and thought, ‘This is really a cool flag.’  … There’s something about the red and the big acorn—it doesn’t take itself too seriously.”

Well connected—think campaign volunteering and serving on the Raleigh Arts Commission and Parks and Rec Bond initiative, etc.—Sullivan has since been instrumental in elevating the status of the flag and getting the word out in the community by providing connectivity (businesses, elected officials…).

“It represents Raleigh in a very joyful way,” she adds. “It’s not stodgy. It’s very catchy. … You have the acorn. You have the shoutout to Sir Walter Raleigh with the crest. I think it’s something every generation can identify with—and see something and feel connected to. It does a great job representing Raleigh.”

For the record, this isn’t the first attempt to reno the Raleigh flag. Arguably never widely adopted, the 120-plus-year-old flag’s potential new design was a hot topic some six-ish years ago when residents called for an upgraded emblem to better rep Raleigh, with ideas flying about Twitter and Reddit—and as a matter of City Council discussion—to no end. Fast-forward to idle time and brilliant minds a la pandemic, and a group of residents resolved to revive the initiative, hence the New Raleigh Flag campaign. And—so far—as the bottom-up convo continues, no snubs yet. 

What happens next is anyone’s guess—but for now: “It’s a great symbol,” says Sullivan. “It’s very distinct. Whether official or unofficial, it does a great job representing and celebrating our city.”
newraleighflag.com