DC Mayor to Remove Black Lives Matter Plaza Amid Pressure From White House

A spokesperson for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed to NBC Washington that Bowser will remove Black Lives Matter Plaza and the “Black Lives Matter” ground mural will be painted over. There’s no timeline yet for the changes, but the street art will be replaced with a design created by D.C. schoolchildren.

Bowser said she made the decision several days ago. When pressed about why, she said it was fair to say the White House didn’t like it.

In 2020, the two-block stretch of 16th Street NW north of the White House was designated as Black Lives Matter Plaza after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked protests nationwide, including in the District.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s decision to remove Black Lives Matter Plaza sent shockwaves through the region and across the nation. It served as a symbol for equal rights and a visual representation that the District was leading the way for change. News4’s Eun Yang spoke with Loyola University Maryland professor Kaye Wise Whitehead, Ph.D., to discuss the move and the impact it will have for years to come.
Bowser unveiled the ground mural on June 5 of that year. It was paved over about a year later, but the mural was replaced, and Bowser announced the new mural would be a permanent installation in October 2021.

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On Monday, Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia introduced legislation that, if passed, would force Bowser to rename Black Lives Matter Plaza or else lose federal funding for D.C.

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Bowser said she does not support renaming the area Liberty Plaza.

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