Well, here we go again.  Albany already destroyed the Philip Schuyler Statue, you know, the American Revolutionary War hero, at a time when we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution!  Now they want to change the city flag. The historic flag, adopted in 1909 and featuring the orange, white, and blue tricolor of the Dutch East India Company with the city’s 1789 coat of arms at center, has come under discussion for potential redesign. Proposals for a contest to create something “modern” that better reflects contemporary diversity have surfaced. Yet, replacing this flag would be a huge mistake. It’s a powerful emblem of Albany’s foundational story: the Dutch settlement that birthed the city and the complex, interdependent relationship with Native American communities that shaped its early economy and survival. Preserving it honors historical truth, fosters genuine understanding, and anchors the city in its unique identity rather than erasing it for fleeting trends.

Albany’s origins trace directly to Dutch enterprise in the early 17th century, especially its relationship to the indigenous people who occupied the area and gave the Dutch permission to settle here. In 1624, the Dutch West India Company established Fort Orange along the Hudson River, the first permanent European settlement in what is now New York State (Albany is the oldest continuously settled city in America). Named after the Dutch royal House of Orange-Nassau, the fort served as a trading post in the vast territory of New Netherland. This was no accidental outpost; Henry Hudson’s 1609 voyage, commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, had opened the river to exploration. The orange, white, and blue stripes on Albany’s flag directly evoke the Prince’s Flag flown by Dutch ships, symbolizing the bold commercial and exploratory spirit that planted European roots in the New World.........

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