WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — In less than 24 hours, crews with the District Department of Transportation will begin to reconstruct Washington, D.C.’s Black Lives Matter (BLM) mural. On Sunday, crowds gathered at the plaza on 16th Street to say their final goodbyes.
On the afternoon of March 9, the BLM Plaza was filled with several organizations as they came together to acknowledge and recognize what the plaza and mural symbolized.
In 2020, the BLM Plaza, which reads “Black Lives Matter” in yellow letters, was designed near the White House. The mural was initially installed during protests over the murder of George Floyd, a Black man.
Floyd died in May of 2020, after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned his neck to the pavement for nearly 10 minutes. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder following Floyd’s death.
Floyd’s death sparked outrage, and protests erupted across the country. As a result, a series of Black Lives Matter murals were designed in cities including New York City, Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
-
“Black Lives Matter” is seen painted on a street in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, June 5, 2020. Muralists commissioned by the mayor’s office painted the 35-foot-tall letters on the pavement of a two-block stretch of 16th Street NW, just north of the White House, ahead of expected protests Saturday, CNN reported. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images -
A newly installed street sign designates Black Lives Matter Plaza NW in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, June 5, 2020. Muralists commissioned by mayor’s office painted “Black Lives Matter” in 35-foot-tall letters on the pavement of a two-block stretch of 16th Street NW, just north of the White House, ahead of expected protests Saturday, CNN reported. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In the Nation’s Capital, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the plaza inspired millions of people and guided D.C. through a painful period.
However, on March 4, Bowser announced that the plaza would be redesigned and part of “DC’s American 250 Mural Project.” The reconstruction will feature students and artists who will create new murals across all eight wards.
Those who gathered at the BLM Plaza Sunday said they were not there as a protest but wanted to honor the legacy and commitment of the Black Lives Matter mural.
“We support and recognize our local officials, but we’re here because we recognize how important this mural is to us as a people and what it represents,” said Richard Mattox, Eastern Province Polemarch for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.
Marvin Burton, the President of the National Pan Hellenic Council said it is very important to get the message out.
“We want this to spark interest in what this meant to us, what this means to other states that also have it [a Black Lives Matter mural] because D.C. is not the only one, and how we can make sure we are always aware of we treat people,” added Burton.
The crowd sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem, and joined together in prayer.
t7gc0c