CLEVELAND — It’s symbolism has been spotted all over the city; the People’s Flag of Cleveland now belongs to more than 600 residents since being released earlier this month.
Jeremy Umansky is one of many businesses adopting the Cleveland flag. He’s one of the chefs and owners at Larder Delicatessen & Bakery, and has shared Eastern European and Jewish foods with Clevelanders for almost a decade.
Located in the heart of Cleveland, Umansky said the restaurant is now putting their city pride on full display.
“Lots of people that live down here, lots of great local businesses, incredible amounts of public art, and it's easy to get to all the other places in the city from here,” he said. “... We've got this pretty sweet flag. I'm so happy, that the Cleveland Flag Project just decided to do this.”
Brian Lachman is the creator of the Cleveland Flag Project.
“As a Clevelander, to show your pride, you have to wear like a Guardians hat, a Cavs jersey or brown shirt. and let's be honest, not everyone's a sports fan,” Lachman said. “Something like this is a universal symbol that can show your pride in your city.”
After receiving hundreds of design submission and thousands of votes from residents, Lachman said, the People’s Flag is just that – a flag for the people, picked by the people.
“You've got Lake Erie and the shoreline, and the ‘C’ for Cleveland,” Lachman said. “But it's also blue, with a nod to the Cuyahoga River. The six-prong star is a nod to the original Cleveland flag that has six images at the top of it, [and] that are in reference to our industry, manufacturing and being a port of Cleveland.”
The Cleveland Flag Project has been gaining momentum, Lachman said, and the group doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.
“I’d love, down the road. If we can have that conversation again with City Council and see if it's a priority of theirs,” he said.
In the meantime, Lachman said they’re focusing on connecting with local artists, designers and community groups.
"We do have our pennant flag that was created by a Lakewood graphic designer, It's hand-painted, handcrafted,” Lachman said. “There's a couple of shirts, one of which, I'm wearing from GV Arts.”
Together, working toward a greater cause.
“There's going to be a portion of the proceeds that go to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank,” Lachman said. “And then anybody also wants to collab with us has an opportunity to pick whatever passionate nonprofit in the community that they would like it to go to.
And they’re hoping to reach all communities in Cleveland.
“CentroVilla is the perfect place to raise the new People's Flag,” she said. “This is very representative CentroVilla, which is very representative of the community and its diversity.”
Helena Rosa is a business advisor for the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development and worked alongside 10 other members on the Cleveland Flag Project’s selection committee.
Growing up on the city’s east side, Rosa said, she’s happy to see the flag bring part of its past into the present.
“As a lifelong resident of Cleveland, this is a modern take on the original flag,” she said. “And it actually provides some more awareness that there actually is a Cleveland flag and that there's a lot of civic pride here in Cleveland.”
And, for Umansky, the flag also represents an opportunity for reimagining the city now and in the years to follow.
“We don't have to think word of the mistake on the lake anymore,” he said “We don't have to think we're the burning river. We can be this beautiful green jewel, this forest city sitting next to this beautiful sapphire of Lake Erie.”
