ENROLLED ORIGINAL
A RESOLUTION
23-453
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
July 7, 2020
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to symbolically designate 16th
Street, N.W., between H Street N.W., and K Street N.W., in Ward 2, as Black Lives
Matter Plaza.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may cited as the Black Lives Matter Plaza Designation Emergency Declaration
Resolution of 2020.
Sec. 2. (a) There exists an immediate need to designate the portion of 16th Street N.W.,
between H Street N.W., and K Street N.W., in Ward 2, as Black Lives Matter Plaza.
(b) In the summer of 2013, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created Black
Lives Matter in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman of second-degree murder for the
death of Trayvon Martin, who was on his way home from a convenience store when he was
stalked, assaulted, and shot by Zimmerman.
(c) Black Lives Matter has been at the forefront of advocating for racial justice, including
organizing protests, rallies, and other actions in response to the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael
Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and other
Black men and women at the hands of police.
(d) The vestiges of slavery, segregation, and separate but equal treatment persist in our
culture, laws, and institutions, leading to continued harm against Black communities in the form
of discrimination and violence. Black Lives Matter is a rallying cry and social movement that
affirms the worth of Black lives in a society in which Black life is devalued and criminalized.
(e) Despite the violence and discrimination that the Black community in the District of
Columbia faces, its achievements and contributions to the social, cultural, and political landscape
of the District are vast and include:
(1) Building the city in the late 18th century while in bondage;
(2) Leading efforts to abolish slavery, expand voting rights, and codify equal
treatment under the law as a basic principle of Americas founding documents;
(3) The success of Howard University, the only federally chartered historically
Black college and one of the most prestigious colleges in the country;
(4) The founding of African American history as an academic field of study;
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 ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(5) The creation of Black Broadway on U Street, a thriving community of
artists, musicians, and writers whose work has had a profound effect on Americas culture;
(6) Laying the foundation for the modern civil rights movement;
(7) Creating the musical subgenre Go-go in the mid-to-late 1960s; and
(8) Leading the Statehood Movement, including the passage of the District of
Columbia Home Rule Act.
(f) On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in Minneapolis, was killed
by a police officer who suffocated him with his knee, leading to a wave of protests across the
country against racism and police brutality.
(g) In response to the protests in the District and across the country, and in recognition of
the work that still needs to be done to ensure that Black lives do matter, Mayor Muriel Bowser
stated publicly on June 5, 2020, that the portion of 16th Street N.W., between H Street N.W., and
K Street N.W., should be designated as Black Lives Matter Plaza. The Council adopted the
designation by emergency act as part of the Coronavirus Support Clarification Emergency
Amendment Act of 2020, effective July 7, 2020 (D.C. Act 23-332; 67 DCR ___), but that
legislation will expire on October 4, 2020.
(h) This designation re-affirms the value of the lives and legacy of the Districts Black
community and re-affirms our commitment to racial justice and equity.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Black
Lives Matter Plaza Designation Emergency Act of 2020 be adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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