Overview

• Mayor Muriel Bowser stated that Black Lives Matter Plaza will be redesigned as part of D.C.'s America 250 mural project, set to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026.
• Republican Representative Andrew Clyde introduced legislation to rename the plaza to 'Liberty Plaza' and threatened to withhold federal transportation funding if the change is not made.
• The plaza, established in 2020 during protests following George Floyd's death, features the phrase 'Black Lives Matter' painted in yellow on 16th Street near the White House.
• Bowser emphasized the need to focus on economic growth and public safety in light of federal job cuts, calling congressional interference over the plaza 'meaningless.'
• The redesign plan is part of a broader effort to involve students and artists in creating new murals across all eight wards of Washington, D.C.