List of Black Lives Matter street murals Facts for Kids

The Washington, D.C. Black Lives Matter mural painted in June 2020

Street murals that say "Black Lives Matter" became popular in 2020. They appeared in many cities across the United States. Some were also painted in Canada and the United Kingdom. These murals were created during the George Floyd protests. They aimed to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement works for justice and equality for Black people.

The first big street mural was painted in Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2020. Workers from the city painted "Black Lives Matter" in huge yellow letters. Each letter was about 35-foot-tall (11 m). This mural was on 16th Street NW, close to the White House. The city's flag was also painted next to the words.

Murals Across the United States

California Murals

San Francisco

Berkeley High School, Berkeley, California

Many cities in California created their own "Black Lives Matter" murals.

Berkeley – On June 9, the city approved a mural in front of city hall. Students had already painted one at Berkeley High School.
Fresno – On June 18, a yellow "Black Lives Matter" mural appeared on P Street. It was in front of the city hall. The city council even called that day "Black Lives Matter Day."
Los Angeles – On August 31, 2020, a permanent mural called All Black Lives Matter was finished. It was painted on Hollywood Boulevard. This mural honored transgender people of color. It replaced an earlier, temporary mural.
Oakland – On June 7, people painted "Black Lives Matter" on 15th Street. Later, on July 1, a special mural was painted at Lake Merritt. It said "ALL BLACK TRANS, QUEER, NON-BINARY, WOMEN, DISABLED, IMPRISONED LIVES MATTER." This mural honored many different Black lives.
San Francisco – A three-block-long yellow mural was painted on Fulton Street. It led up to San Francisco City Hall.
Stockton – On June 19, volunteers painted "Black Lives Matter" in Pan-African colors. These colors are red, black, and green. The mural was in front of Victory Park.

Colorado Murals

Frisco, Colorado

Denver – On June 12, hundreds of volunteers painted "Black Lives Matter" on Broadway. It was between the Colorado State Capitol and the City and County Building. They also added "Remember This Time."

Illinois Murals

Oak Park, Illinois

Chicago – In the Andersonville area, 22 artists painted "BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER" on Catalpa Avenue.
Oak Park – From June 24 to 27, a large "Black Lives Matter" mural was painted. It was 130 by 12 feet (39.6 m × 3.7 m) and used many colors.

Indiana Murals

Indianapolis – From August 1 to 2, 2020, a mural was painted on Indiana Avenue. Each letter was designed by a different Black artist. The city council approved this mural. It was later damaged on August 9, 2020.

Maryland Murals

Baltimore – On June 12, protesters painted ""Defund the Police"" on Gay Street. Later, on June 21, residents painted "Black Lives Matter" in red.
Salisbury – A "Black Lives Matter" mural was painted in blue, yellow, and green. These are the city's colors. Broad Street was even renamed "Black Lives Matter Boulevard" on June 19.

Michigan Murals

Detroit – On June 17, artists painted "Power to the People" on Woodward Avenue.
Jackson – On June 14, "Black Lives Matter" was painted in Pan-African colors on High Street. Another mural was painted in yellow on West Washington Avenue.
Lansing – An activist painted "Black Lives Matter" in yellow and white letters. Each letter was 4-foot-tall (1.2 m).

Minnesota Murals

Minneapolis

Minneapolis – On July 18, a "Black Lives Matter" mural was painted outside the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum. Sixteen artists each designed one of the 24-foot (7.3 m)-high letters.

Missouri Murals

Kansas City – On September 5, six huge "Black Lives Matter" murals were painted. Each one was designed by a Black artist. This project was called KC Art on the Block. It covered over 2,000 feet (610 m) of street.

New Jersey Murals

Elizabeth – On August 2, a "Black Lives Matter" mural was dedicated at MLK Plaza. Family members of George Floyd and Eric Garner attended the event.
Newark – On June 27, a part of Halsey Street was painted with "Black Lives Matter."

New York Murals

Manhattan, New York City

Albany – A group painted "Black Lives Matter" in yellow on Lark Street. This is a very busy street. Livingston Park was also renamed Black Lives Matter Park.
New York City – Many street murals were painted across the city.
Rochester – On June 11, volunteers painted "Black Lives Matter" on Court Street in blue. The letters were 37+1⁄2-foot-tall (11.4 m). It also had the Black Lives Matter fist logo.

North Carolina Murals

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte – On June 9, "Black Lives Matter" was painted on South Tryon Street. It was later damaged by skid marks.
Elizabeth City – A "Black Lives Matter" mural was painted on East Colonial Avenue. It honored Andrew Brown Jr..

Ohio Murals

Akron – On June 18, "Black Lives Matter" was painted on Howard Street. This was near where a high school graduate, Na'Kia Crawford, was fatally shot.
Cincinnati – Local artists painted "Black Lives Matter!" on Plum Street. It was in front of Cincinnati City Hall. Seventeen artists worked on this mural.

Oklahoma Murals

Tulsa – On June 19, "Black Lives Matter" was painted in yellow on Greenwood Avenue. This street is in the Greenwood District, where the Tulsa Race Massacre happened long ago. The city removed it on October 6.

Oregon Murals

Eugene – On June 18, artists painted "Black Lives Matter" on 8th Avenue. It had yellow letters and black handprints. The mural was damaged that night. But the artists and community added to it, covering the damage with colorful handprints.
Portland – On June 18, a "Black Lives Matter" mural was painted on North Edison Street. Inside the letters, there were detailed stories about minority history in the area.

Texas Murals

Austin

Austin – "Black Austin Matters" was painted in yellow on Congress Avenue. Another mural, "Black Artists Matter," was painted on East 11th Street.
Houston – On June 19, "Black Towns Matter" was painted in red and yellow. It was in Independence Heights. This was the first city in Texas started by African-Americans.
Prairie View – On June 19, students from Prairie View A&M University painted a permanent "Black Lives Matter" mural. It was on Sandra Bland Parkway.

Utah Murals

Mural in Salt Lake City, Utah, 2021

Salt Lake City

Vermont Murals

Montpelier – On June 13, hundreds of volunteers painted "Black Lives Matter" in yellow. It was on the street in front of the Vermont State House. The mural was damaged the next day.

Washington Murals

Seattle – Local artists painted a colorful "Black Lives Matter" mural. It was in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. In 2021, a second mural was painted outside Seattle City Hall.

Wisconsin Murals

Milwaukee – On June 19, "Black Lives Matter" was painted in yellow. It was on North Martin Luther King Junior Drive. Much of it washed away in a thunderstorm the next day.

Murals in Other Countries

Similar street murals have also been painted outside the United States:

Australia – In Brunswick, Victoria, people painted "Black Lives Matter" in black on Florence Street.
Canada – In Toronto, protesters painted "Defund the Police" in hot pink. It was outside the police headquarters.
United Kingdom – In Greenwich, the local council painted "Black Lives Matter" across General Gordon Square.

List of Black Lives Matter street murals facts for kids

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