Washington
D.C.'s Black Lives Matter mural will be erased. Look back at the iconic street painting
Black Lives Matter Plaza on 16th Street Washington, D.C., is repainted following the removal of the lettering for a construction project on May 13, 2021.
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Washington, D.C.’s iconic “Black Lives Matter” street mural, which has served as a powerful symbol of activism and a gathering place for joy and resistance, will soon be gone.
The decision to remove the enormous mural near the White House comes after a U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., introduced legislation earlier this week that gave D.C. an ultimatum: either paint over the slogan or risk losing federal funding. The bill also called for the area in downtown D.C. to be re-named from Black Lives Matter Plaza to Liberty Plaza.
The next day, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement suggesting that the mural will have to go. “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,” she wrote. The DDOT confirmed on Saturday that plans to remove the mural will begin Monday.
The mayor’s response marked a reversal: She initially declared that the artwork would be permanent.
City workers repaint Black Lives Matter Plaza on May 13, 2021.
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The mural was painted in 2020 after federal officers attacked D.C. protesters with tear gas
In June 2020, amid a nationwide outcry over the death George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, the mural was created overnight.
It was in direct response to reports of federal officers using tear gas against peaceful protesters in D.C.’s Lafayette Square. The demonstrators had been cleared shortly before President Trump walked through the park to St. John’s Church, where he posed for a controversial photo-op holding a Bible.
A few days later, the D.C. mayor commissioned a striking 48-foot-wide “Black Lives Matter” mural near the site of the altercation. The street painting spanned two blocks of 16th Street, just north of the White House. The mayor also renamed the area Black Lives Matter Plaza and designated it a pedestrian-only zone. In all, the project cost over $4 million.
“The symbolism is huge. We are saying it loud. We are here. Maybe you didn’t hear us before. Maybe you got confused. But the message is clear. Black lives matter, period,” Keyonna Jones, one of artists who helped paint the mural, told member station WAMU in 2020.
The mural’s unveiling fell on the birthday of Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker who was killed in March 2020 during a botched raid by police officers in Louisville, Ky. “Breonna Taylor, on your birthday, let us stand with determination. Determination to make America the land it ought to be,” Bowser wrote on Twitter on June 5, 2020.
That same evening, Trump took to Twitter and called Bowser “grossly incompetent, and in no way qualified to be running an important city like Washington, D.C.” Later that night, Bowser posted a video of the mural and wrote, “We turned on the night light for him so he dreams about #BlackLivesMatter Plaza,” seemingly referring to Trump.
A place for protest, joy, mourning and where congressman John Lewis spent one of his final days
The plaza quickly became a popular meeting spot for demonstrations. People gathered or marched through, for an array of reasons including advocating for racial justice, promoting environmental justice, raising awareness of international issues and celebrating Juneteenth.
People gather to celebrate Juneteenth in Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House on June 20, 2023.
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Anadolu Agency/via Getty Images
With Iman Saleh (left), on her 12th day of a hunger strike for Yemen, looking on, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a press conference at Black Lives Matter Plaza calling for an end to U.S. support for a Saudi Arabia-led blockade of Yemen on April 9, 2021.
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Indigenous environmental activists march through Black Lives Matter Plaza on their way to the White House as part of a protest against oil pipelines on April 1, 2021.
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Many also came together to mourn the loss of civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis, who died in 2020. A year later, Bowser said that one of her proudest memories of the Black Lives Matter Plaza was when Lewis was able to see the street painting himself before his death.
“He recognized Black Lives Matter Plaza as good trouble, and we know it will remain a gathering place for reflection, planning and action, as we work toward a more perfect union,” Bowser said in 2021.
Rep. John Lewis of Georgia is seen in Black Lives Matter Plaza on June 7, 2020.
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Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images
People gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza to watch the funeral procession for congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis on July 27, 2020.
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Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
The installation has received some pushback over the years. After its inception, the D.C. chapter of Black Lives Matter called the mural “a performative distraction” by the mayor, accusing her of dismissing the chapter’s calls to defund the police and invest in the community.
On Friday, the group re-posted its initial complaints about the artwork and the mayor, adding, “We told you so.”
But, nationally, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation condemned the decision to remove the artwork.
“First, they attacked critical race theory. Then, they banned books. Then DEI, Now they’re erasing Black Lives Matter Plaza. Big mistake. You can’t erase truth. Republicans hate that they have to walk past it. Hate that it reminds them of our power,” the foundation wrote in a statement.
Philonise Floyd (left), George Floyd’s brother, embraces Floyd family attorney Ben Crump as the family visits Black Lives Matter Plaza on on May 25, 2021, the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death.
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Jones, who helped paint the mural five years ago, told WUSA9 that she understood the mayor’s decision and was proud of the impact that the mural made in its short run.
“It speaks for itself. People traveled the world to see this,” Jones said earlier this week.
Under the motto “Light for Our Democracy,” people gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House on March 4, 2025, to protest the Trump administration.
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Astrid Riecken/The Washington Post via Getty Images
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – The Supreme Court has one week remaining to release decisions before the end of its term, with seven cases still pending — including a major ruling on birthright citizenship.
Justices face a traditional July 1 deadline to wrap up the term. Among the remaining cases is the birthright citizenship case Trump v. Barbara, argued in April, which is one of several cases involving President Donald Trump that will test the limits of executive branch power.
Meanwhile, the president is set to travel to North Dakota for the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Library, the first of multiple events and speeches planned during the week of America’s 250th birthday.
On the eve of Independence Day, Trump will then visit Mount Rushmore before returning to Washington, D.C., for the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
Festivities in the nation’s capital include a fireworks display on the National Mall that organizers say will attempt to break the world record. Views of the display will be available from across Washington, D.C.
Copyright 2026 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
The Washington Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 27 drawing
03-16-28-30-59, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 27 drawing
01
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 27 drawing
5-4-1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Match 4 numbers from June 27 drawing
02-06-11-12
Check Match 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Hit 5 numbers from June 27 drawing
12-22-26-28-42
Check Hit 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Keno numbers from June 27 drawing
02-05-08-10-11-13-14-21-22-26-30-34-37-38-42-48-56-60-61-74
Check Keno payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto numbers from June 27 drawing
05-10-14-22-23-25
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 27 drawing
02-26-34-43-45, Powerball: 15
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Washington Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Washington Lottery’s regional offices.
To claim by mail, complete a winner claim form and the information on the back of the ticket, making sure you have signed it, and mail it to:
Washington Lottery Headquarters
PO Box 43050
Olympia, WA 98504-3050
For in-person claims, visit a Washington Lottery regional office and bring a winning ticket, photo ID, Social Security card and a voided check (optional).
Olympia Headquarters
Everett Regional Office
Federal Way Office
Spokane Department of Imagination
Vancouver Office
Tri-Cities Regional Office
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Washington Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Washington Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 8 p.m. PT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash Pop: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Pick 3: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Match 4: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Hit 5: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Daily Keno: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Lotto: 8 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:30 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Washington editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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