D.C. puts up 51-star American flags on Pennsylvania Avenue NW

by | Sep 17, 2019

The move comes days before a scheduled congressional hearing on D.C. statehood
A red, white, and blue striped flag with 51 white stars hangs on a light pole outside a stately government building.
A 51-star American flag outside the Wilson Building, the seat of the District government
 D.C. Council

Workers have installed scores of American flags in view of the U.S. Capitol, on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. What makes these flags special? They each have 51 stars rather than the typical 50—a symbol of the District’s longtime push to be recognized as a state. Why now? Because on Thursday Congress is set to hold its first hearing on D.C. statehood in more than 25 years.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and other District leaders including Phil Mendelson, the chairman of the D.C. Council, are expected to testify before the House Oversight Committee, which has jurisdiction over the nation’s capital, to advocate for statehood. And on Monday, Bowser will preside over a parade on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, from 14th to 3rd streets NW, at which 51 District veterans will be honored. They are among 32,000 D.C. veterans who have fought for the U.S. and among more than 700,000 D.C. residents who currently lack a vote in Congress.

ihtkKO60 normal

Mayor Muriel Bowser

@MayorBowser

DC veterans have served and died for their country, yet they lack representation in Congress.

Join us tomorrow as we raise the 51 star flag, honor our vets and rally behind #DCStatehood: http://bit.ly/standupfordcveterans 

Embedded video

86 people are talking about this

oHYWEqpW normal

Council of DC

@councilofdc

It’s both powerful & subtle to see 51-star flags on Pennsylvania Ave today. As @iamjohnoliver said in his @lastweektonight piece on #DCStatehood: “It would look slightly different, but we’ve been using a 51-star flag for this whole segment, & none of you has [expletive] noticed!”

View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
131 people are talking about this

66ebabb9e73632b28d53261a05cb8ae1 normal

Elaine Ryan@RoamtheDomes

51st State? American flags with 51 stars are flying along Pennsylvania Ave in advance of a DC statehood parade and House hearing this week.

View image on Twitter
See Elaine Ryan’s other Tweets

Moreover, a July poll by Gallup found that 64 percent of U.S. adults opposed D.C. becoming a separate state. (Roughly the reverse is true among D.C. adults, according to a 2015 poll by the Washington Post.) Local elected officials such as Bowser and congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who cannot vote on the House floor, took issue with the poll for not having context about the District’s dearth of equal representation at the federal level and its effects.

As featured on dc.curbed.com

Content | Menu | Access panel