Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Tuesday that the city will paint over the massive “Black Lives Matter” mural near the White House, marking a reversal on one of the most visible symbols of left-wing activism in the nation’s capital, citing pressure from the Trump administration as the reason for the change. The large yellow lettering, which spans a two-block section of 16th Street NW and was first painted in 2020 during nationwide protests, will be removed as part of a broader city project.
This decision represents a significant shift from Bowser, who had once championed the mural as a rebuke to then-President Donald Trump. In a statement, Bowser reframed the decision, emphasizing that the city is now focused on economic recovery and safety, dismissing what she called “meaningless congressional interference.” She said: “We have long considered Black Lives Matter Plaza’s evolution, and the plaza will be part of D.C.’s America 250 mural project, where we will invite students and artists to create new murals across all eight wards.”
“The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a very painful period, but now we can’t afford to be distracted… Our focus is on economic growth, public safety, and supporting our residents affected by these cuts,” she added. Although Bowser claimed that the decision was based on city priorities, she acknowledged on Wednesday that the White House influenced the move. Trump had previously criticized the mural as a divisive political stunt.
“We have bigger fish to fry than fights over what has been very important to us and to the history, and especially in our ability to keep our city safe during that time, that mural played a very important part,” Bowser said according to NBC4. “But now our focus is on making sure our residents and our economy survives.” The Plaza was a two-block-long section of 16th Street NW in Washington, D.C., near the White House.
The area received national attention in June 2020 when the phrase “Black Lives Matter” was painted in large yellow letters on the street by the order of Mayor Bowser in response to protests that followed George Floyd’s death. Bowser confirmed that her decision to repaint the plaza was related to Rep. Andrew Clyde’s (R-GA) legislative proposal.
“Well, I’m not going to talk about specifics, about my conversations, but I think it’s safe to say that people don’t like it, didn’t like it. It’s safe to say, you can imagine that, yes,” she said. Clyde’s bill threatened to withhold federal transportation funds unless D.C. renamed the area to Liberty Plaza and removed references to Black Lives Matter Plaza.
“My intention was to announce this with our next America 250 commission meeting, which will be later this month,” Bowser said. “So while the announcement came a little bit sooner than I had planned, the decision had been made.” She added, “We expect to have a discussion, a citywide discussion, about how we will honor the nation’s semiquincentennial, and we expect it to be a part of that discussion, but we don’t support the congressman’s bill.” Bowser also mentioned plans to introduce a new mural in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.