| For the English county, see Kent. |
The flag of Kent, Ohio, is a white swallowtail design with eight converging stripes of green and blue, which all form an eight-pointed star. The original concept was designed by Kent resident Zach Garster and was modified by the Kent City Flag Committee.
Symbolism[]
Colors[]
Blue symbolizes the Cuyahoga River and canals, which were a central piece of Kent's past and a point of charm and appeal in modern times. Green symbolizes Kent's nickname "The Tree City" and its environmental history. White symbolizes Kent's history of seeking peace and harmony locally and globally.
Design[]
The burgee-shaped of the flag reflects both the shape of the flag for the State of Ohio and Kent's original flag. The simple modern design is meant to suggest Kent's goal of civic progress and the city's forward-looking spirit. A letter "K" can be seen from the green vertical center stripe and intersecting blue diagonal stripes. All the stripes point to the central star, forming arrows that are meant to point to the future. The four stripes, both green and blue, are meant to recall Kent’s four major eras of history, from pre-settlement, settlement and canal, railroad, and college town. They are also meant to celebrate an "intersection of cultures". The saltire ("X") formed by the blue stripes also symbolizes the railroads, which played a major role in the development and naming of Kent. The converging stripes form an eight-pointed star that symbolizes the North Star, which was used sometimes used on quilts that guided enslaved people escaping captivity. It also symbolizes Kent's history of inclusion, diversity and forward thinking.
Proposed designs[]
On October 5, 2022, the city put out a call for submissions to replace its' former flag, and ended up receiving sixty-eight designs, and hand-picked three designs. The current flag (which was labeled Option A) was one of them. All designs featured the shape of a swallowtail, both the shape of the state flag and the former city flag.[1]
Option B[]
Option B featured a design that consisted of two diagonal stripes of blue and green, connected by a black triangle.
Symbolism[]
The green stripe represents the city's agricultural history, prosperity, fertility, youthfulness, hope, and Kent’s status as a Tree City. The blue stripe, a symbol of revitalization and resilience, also represents the Cuyahoga River. The black triangle represents the city's chimney swifts and black squirrels as well as the city's railroads. And the triangle points forward to progress and hope. All elements unite to form a "K" for Kent.[1]
Option C[]
Option C features a chevron consisting of stripes of blue, white, and green, with four red stars on the fly arranged in a diamond pattern.
Symbolism[]
The blue stripe represents the Cuyahoga River. The two green stripes recall the settlements of Carthage and Franklin Mills, the villages that united to form the city. The way the chevron comes to a point is meant to reference the shape of a mound and symbolizes the prehistoric mound builders that lived in this area. Together, the negative white space and the chevron unite to also form a "K" for Kent. The four stars represent pre-settlement, settlement and canal era, railroad era, and university founding, the four segments of the city's history.[1]
The blue is meant to signify determination, liberation, alertness and good fortune. The green represents Kent’s agricultural history, prosperity, fertility, youthfulness, hope and the Tree City.[1]
White, the symbol of peace, purity and harmony, reflects the city's history of seeking peace and harmony locally and globally. Red is meant to pay homage to the state flower (carnation) and the state bird (cardinal).[1]
Former flag[]
The former flag of Kent, Ohio, is a yellow swallowtail design with a blue triangle at the hoist. In the yellow part of the flag are the words "CITY OF KENT OHIO", in black capital letters, and in the blue part of the flag are a tree and a lamp of knowledge with a red flame. It was designed by nine-year-old Keith Bauer, and was adopted on October 15, 1975.
Symbolism[]
The blue represents the Cuyahoga River, the yellow is the city's color, the tree represents the city's nickname "The Tree City", and the lamp of knowledge represents the presence and contributions of the school system and Kent State University.
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