The District of Columbia’s iconic Black Lives Matter Plaza will be removed this month amid a power struggle between local legislators and Republicans in Congress, the latter of whom hold power over the unrepresented territory.
The two-block corridor near the White House, painted over in yellow with the BLM moniker on the orders of Mayor Muriel Bowser during the George Floyd protests in 2020, has stood as a symbol of resistance and racial reckoning but also an object of derision in the eyes of many conservatives.
The plaza, which cost roughly $8 million and has been the subject of several lawsuits, was made the target of an ultimatum this month. U.S. Rep Andrew Clyde of Georgia—a devoted ally of President Donald Trump—introduced House legislation to cut highway funding to the district in half unless the plaza was renamed along GOP-friendly lines.
The next day, March 5, Bowser announced her intentions to move in a new direction with the plaza, though without specifying any specific action to be taken. This was followed by an official “reconstruction” plan from the District Department of Transportation, which received notice from Secretary of Transporation Sean Duffy that roadway murals “distract from the critical task of safe travel.”
“DDOT will closely coordinate with local stakeholders to ensure a smooth process, and we appreciate the public’s patience as we work to enhance this important corridor,” a DDOT spokesperson later told local media.
Bowser said BLM Plaza has long been seen as part of a mural project celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, due to be officially observed in 2026. She further stated that the rescission of the current plaza design will be balanced by “new murals across all eight wards” of the district, as designed by local artists and students.
Mayor Bowser released the following statement on the evolution of Black Lives Matter Plaza: pic.twitter.com/6dk8Jbc5ir
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) March 4, 2025
The messaging from the mayor is a retreat from her rhetoric in previous years, when she stated the plaza would be “permanent.” Also novel is Bowser’s referral to the renamed corridor strictly as a work of art.
“The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a very painful period, but now we can't afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference,” she said.
“The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern. Our focus is on economic growth, public safety, and supporting our residents affected by these cuts.”
The proposed funding cuts in Rep. Clyde’s legislation are indeed only the latest threat to the district’s financial picture, with the Trump administration having announced more than 60,000 federal job cuts since January.
Parrying federal intervention in the district—a hot topic as of late, even dating back to the Biden presidency—has also remained a top issue for Bowser, who was elected to a third term as mayor in 2022.
This month, however, the Black Catholic chief executive signaled that preserving monuments like BLM Plaza pales in comparison to the pressing issue of economic stability in the nation’s capital.
“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,” Bowser told WJLA-TV..
“During that time, that mural played a very important part, but now our focus is on making sure our residents and our economy survive.”
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
