For the past 111 years, we've been using a poorly designed, uninspiring, racist flag, making us just another city without beautiful symbols we can be proud of.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Albany's current flag is based on the Prince's Flag of the Netherlands, which was the basis for the similar-looking apartheid-era flag of South Africa and has since been co-opted by far-right white supremacist groups.

Beyond that major issue, it’s also poorly designed. Vexillologists (flag experts) have five rules of design: a good flag should be simple, use no more than three basic colors, contain no lettering or seals, have meaningful symbolism, and be distinctive from other flags. Albany’s flag fails on four of these counts.

A good flag is important for city pride and unity. It's something you should be able to rally behind. Nobody cares about the current one, but a new flag could be an important symbol for bringing the people of Albany together.

By signing this petition, you are taking a stand against the old flag and supporting the new proposal.

www.albanyflag.com