Large crowds of citizens seeking justice marched and protested in May 2020 in to response recent acts of police violence and excessive use of force. The names Breonna Taylor and George Floyd were chanted to bring awareness to the individuals who were unjustly murdered by police. The protesters were met with violence and at night the city was in turmoil.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, as a show of solidarity with the citizens seeking justice, had order the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” to be painted on part of 16th Street leading towards the White House. To match the new mural, she also had that portion of the street renamed “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”