Google Maps and Bing Maps have added a marker for the “Black Lives Matter Plaza” in Washington D.C., after a section of the street directly in front of the White House was officially renamed by the city’s mayor and painted with the protest slogan.
Social unrest has swept through the U.S. over the past couple of weeks, triggered by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by city police officers. Washington, D.C., has seen its own protests with thousands in attendance.
In response, the D.C. Department of Public Works painted the words “Black Lives Matter” in yellow letters on 16th Street. On June 5, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser officially renamed the section as Black Lives Matter Plaza.
The section of 16th street in front of the White House is now officially “Black Lives Matter Plaza”. pic.twitter.com/bbJgAYE35b
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 5, 2020
A marker for the Black Lives Matter Plaza may now be searched for and seen in Google Maps. The change was reportedly done within hours of Bowser’s announcement, according to 9to5Google.
The satellite imagery of Google Maps, however, does not yet show the Black Lives Matter mural on the street.
Microsoft said Bing Maps had also added the new “Black Lives Matter” name for the street, and would update its satellite imagery to show the mural.
Apple Maps, on the other hand, has updated its map to show the artwork, which was spotted by tech blogger Jane Manchun Wong.
I like how Apple Maps only patched this part of the satelite image for Black Lives Matter Plaza
(notice how the cars partially fade out at the edges, and that this part is noticeably grainy than the rest) pic.twitter.com/lXIGf5AKOj
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) June 8, 2020
The quick turnaround for the Google Maps, Bing Maps and Apple Maps updates shows growing support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which continues to fight for racial justice in the name of Floyd and other Black victims of police brutality.
