The Black Lives Matter Movement Is Being Written Into the Streetscape
In the weeks following George Floyd’s death, activists and city officials have painted dozens of American streets, walls, and public spaces with three words: black lives matter. In June, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed co-naming a prominent street in every borough for the movement. One recent stop: Fifth Avenue, directly in front of Trump Tower. Joining activists and city workers in painting the pavement, de Blasio said, “Black lives matter in our city, and Black lives matter in the United States of America. Let’s show Donald Trump what he does not understand.”
Last month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was the first to rechristen a public space using the slogan: Two blocks across from the White House became Black Lives Matter Plaza, not long after the U.S. Park Police had violently teargassed peaceful protesters in nearby Lafayette Square. “There was a dispute this week about whose street this is,” Bowser’s chief of staff when the plaza’s bold yellow letters were unveiled. Bowser, like de
