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Did Minnesota redesign its flag to look like Somalia’s? Here’s what we know
Minnesota's new state flag design has sparked comparisons to Somalia's flag due to its blue color and star.
Minnesota’s newly adopted state flag has drawn attention, with social media users claiming the design was altered to resemble Somalia’s national flag. The comparisons began circulating more widely after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was named the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Reuters reported.
Posts shared online point to the flag’s blue color scheme and prominent star, arguing these features mirror Somalia’s flag. Some users have suggested the similarities were intentional or politically motivated.
Those claims, however, overlook how and why the flag was redesigned in the first place.
The new flag was officially adopted in May, following a multi-year process that included public submissions, legislative action, and expert guidance. That process, as documented at the time, provides context for evaluating the claims now circulating.
Was the flag redesigned to resemble Somalia’s?
The new Minnesota flag was not inspired by Somalia’s flag, according to both the designer whose work informed the final version, and a flag expert who advised the redesign commission. Those involved said the design is rooted entirely in Minnesota-specific symbols and history.
Minnesota resident Andrew Prekker, whose submission inspired the final design, told Reuters he did not look at any other countries’ flags during the process.
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Brian Cham, a member of the North American Vexillological Association who advised the redesign, said the similarities cited online are superficial and coincidental.
Why Minnesota changed its flag
Concerns about Minnesota’s former flag date back to at least 2017, when students raised issues with its design. Those concerns were later also pointed out by vexillologists who criticized the flag for violating basic principles of good design.
“The old flag violated every principle of good flag design,” Cham said in an email to Reuters. He described it as cluttered, with too many small elements and colors, and said including the word “Minnesota” suggested the flag was not easily recognizable.
Cham also highlighted concerns about the imagery on the old flag’s seal, which depicted a white settler displacing a Native American. He said the symbolism was insensitive and did not resonate with all Minnesotans.
How the new design was selected
In 2023, Minnesota lawmakers established the Minnesota State Emblems Redesign Commission through a state house bill. The commission reviewed public submissions and presented a final flag design in December 2023. The design was formally adopted in May, according to Reuters.
Read More: Somali flag at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's mansion? Truth behind the viral video
The final flag features a dark blue shape representing the outline of Minnesota and a lighter blue field symbolizing the state’s water resources. An eight-point star represents the North Star, tied to the state motto, “L’etoile Du Nord,” and a symbol found in the state Capitol rotunda.
Why the Somalia comparison doesn’t hold
Somalia’s flag features a five-point star, with each point representing a historical Somali region. Minnesota’s flag uses an eight-point star and prominently includes the shape of the state, which Cham said is a key difference.
“The visual similarity is tenuous,” Cham told Reuters, noting that blue backgrounds and stars are common in flags worldwide.
