Today, the D.C. Department of Transportation began the weeks-long project of stripping Black Lives Matter Plaza of its iconic mural. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser complied with the Trump administration’s demand only after the introduction of a bill threatening to deny the District federal funding if it refused. Residents and supporters flooded the streets over the weekend in solidarity with the mayor and resistance to Trump. The project begins with renaming the street and will reportedly close parts of the street for 6-8 weeks. D.C. residents are being asked to bear the cost and inconvenience of removing a simple statement of fact: black lives matter.
Black Lives Matter Without or Without a D.C. Mural
While billboards and other signs have been a key part of public protest against the Trump administration, the Black Lives Matter mural was something else. It was an undeniable show of resistance and perseverance, written on a road to the White House itself. Sunday, dozens of members of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity gathered at the plaza in D.C. to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Today, others gathered to stand in solidarity with one another and with the mural’s message.
The large yellow letters have been a part of the city since 2020. One commenter pointed out the obvious waste of taxpayer money that whitewashing the plaza will require, saying, “Doesn’t it cost money to dismantle this?🧐” Of course, despite claims to the contrary made by Musk and DOGE, curbing wasteful spending isn’t an actual priority of the Trump administration. Another, replying to the OP’s “Hoods are off” title, said,
No, the white pointy hoods are on
The changes forced on Black Lives Matter plaza by Trump are only the latest in the administration’s targeted attacks against minorities. Trump’s aggressive campaign against immigrants, trans people, student protestors, and others has always included anti-Black messaging as well. That’s no surprise, considering the long and public history of lawsuits against Trump due to blatantly racist and discriminatory actions dating back to his time as a New York real estate mogul. As the community’s response shows, however, erasing the message will never erase the message’s truth.
