Black Lives Matter Plaza, a two-block stretch at Washington that features the phrase painted in 48-foot-high letters across the asphalt, is set to get a new look— and not purely by choice. 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed the mural will be painted over and the area renamed, with students and local artists stepping in to create new murals as part of the city’s America250 initiative.

The announced makeover comes just a day after Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde introduced legislation threatening to cut federal funds unless the Black Lives Matter name and mural are removed. Mr. Clyde’s bill calls for renaming the area “Liberty Plaza” and scrubbing references to BLM Plaza from D.C.’s records, websites, and signage. 

The mayor posted a combative statement on X blaming politics for the bill. “The mural inspired millions and helped our city through a very painful period,” Ms. Bowser said. “But now we can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference. The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern. Our focus is on economic growth, public safety, and supporting our residents affected by these cuts.”

The plaza was inaugurated in June 2020 during nationwide protests against police brutality, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Ms. Bowser had the “Black Lives Matter” mural painted on 16th Street NW, right in front of the White House, in a rebuke to President Trump.

Ms. Bowser even renamed the intersection Black Lives Matter Plaza, turning it into a symbolic ground zero for racial justice. While the mural was paved over a year later, a permanent version was installed in October 2021. 

“When we created Black Lives Matter Plaza in June 2020, we sent a strong message that Black Lives Matter, and that power has always been and always will be with well-meaning people,” Ms. Bowser said at the time. “We have transformed the mural into a monument.

“One of my proudest memories of Black Lives Matter Plaza is when, in his final days, Congressman John Lewis came to see it for himself. 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,” she said.

But not if Mr. Clyde has his way. The Georgia lawmaker has labeled the BLM Plaza project a waste of taxpayer dollars, throwing shade at the nearly $5 million price tag and maintenance costs.

“This failed agenda belongs in the past, starting with removing BLM Plaza from America’s capital,” Mr. Clyde said in a statement promoting his bill, H.R. 1774. “BLM is a radical, defund-the-police organization—something our nation is not.”

If Mr. Clyde’s bill passes Congress, D.C. would have just 60 days to erase the mural or risk losing essential funds.