A Black Lives Matter street mural in Washington, D.C., that was installed during the racial justice protests in 2020 may be painted over, Mayor Muriel Bowser said, as President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress threaten to intervene in the district’s self-governance.
“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,” Bowser said in a statement. “The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern.”
During the height of the protests over George Floyd’s killing in 2020, Bowser, a Democrat, announced that one of the streets leading to the White House would be painted with the words “Black Lives Matter” and that the area would be named Black Lives Matter Plaza. The project was seen as an act of defiance against Trump, who was highly critical of the protests.
The D.C. Black Lives Matter chapter also criticized Bowser at the time, saying she “has consistently been on the wrong side of BLMDC history” and calling the mural a “performative distraction from real policy changes.”
While the relationship between Bowser and Trump has improved since then, Republicans have not stopped their push to expand federal authority over the capital. As his administration seeks to cut diversity programs across the federal government and in the private sector, Trump recently repeated his call for the federal government to “take over” governance of the city. House Republicans have also taken steps to end Washington’s independence, focusing on the mural in particular as part of an effort to “end left-wing pet projects.” Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee have introduced the BOWSER Act, a bill that would repeal the Home Rule Act that grants Washington, D.C., some autonomy from the federal government.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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