DC’s Black Lives Matter Plaza near White House to be renamed
Washington, D.C.’s Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House will be renamed due to funding cut threats.
Actions are continually being taken at the federal and state government levels on everything from immigration and DEI to, now, public artworks.
The Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. is now under fire due to U.S. House Bill 1774. What’s going on? Here’s what we know:
What is Black Lives Patter Plaza?
According to Designation DC, Black Lives Matter Plaza is a two-block section of 16th Street North West which prominently features a 50-foot-tall mural of the phrase “Black Lives Matter” and the district’s flag.
It was commissioned by Mayor Muriel Bowser and completed by the DC Public Works Department with the assistance of the MuralsDC program following the historic murder of George Floyd in 2020.
What is House Bill 1774?
Introduced by U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, HB 1774 would withhold certain apportionment funds from D.C. unless the mayor removes the mural, removes the “Black Lives Matter” phrase from all websites, documents, etc. and renames the area “Liberty Plaza.”
This would withhold 50% of the funds on the first day of each fiscal year starting after the date of enactment if the mayor does not comply.
Who is Rep. Andrew Clyde?
Clyde is from Athens, GA and is a U.S. representative from Georgia’s 9th congressional district. He was first elected in 2020. He is also a Navy Veteran and is the owner of Clyde Armory.
“President Trump is 100% right. We must clean up Washington, D.C. for the American people. I think renaming BLM Plaza to Liberty Plaza is a great place to start,” he wrote on X, later writing “This woke, divisive slogan will no longer stain the streets of America’s capital city.”
Will D.C. rename Black Lives Matter Plaza?
It’s unclear what parts of this bill Bowser will comply with, but she released the following statement:
“We have long considered Black Lives Matter Plaza’s evolution and the plaza will be part of DC’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 by meaningless congressional interference.”
There are currently no details on this project or its timeline.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
