The bold, red, and yellow “Black Lives Matter” letters that stretch across four lanes of Alabama Street, directly in front of Houston’s historic Jack Yates High School, where George Floyd once attended, may soon be removed.
Under a statewide order issued on Oct. 8, the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT, following direction from Gov. Greg Abbott, has given cities 30 days to remove “pavement markings such as decorative crosswalks, murals, or markings conveying artwork or other messages,” on roadways.
The sweeping ban places the Third Ward’s Black Lives Matter mural in jeopardy, though officials have kept details about its possible removal under wraps. Public attention initially focused on the rainbow crosswalks in Montrose, which have already been removed.
Installed in 2021 as a community tribute following Floyd’s 2020 murder by a Minneapolis police officer, the street mural became a symbol of resilience and racial justice in Houston’s predominantly Black Third Ward neighborhood. The mural, featuring “Black Lives Matter” and Floyd’s high school football number 88, was community-funded to honor Floyd where he grew up.
Abbott directed TxDOT to enforce the federal “Safe Roads” policy, which aims to eliminate nonstandard roadway artwork deemed distracting to drivers. The initiative also led to the removal of Montrose’s rainbow crosswalks.
Houston City Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, who represents the Third Ward, said she was unaware of any formal decision but expects the mural’s removal. She called it “a peaceful symbol of love and unity,” arguing it poses no safety threat and reflects the community’s values.
“It’s to commemorate a graduate of Jack Yates High School,” Evans-Shabazz said. “It’s right there in front of the school. It’s symbolic. The students participated in creating it. It’s really a travesty that something built by our future, by our young people, is being destroyed.”
“It’s really a travesty that something built by our future — by our young people — is being destroyed.”
Carolyn Shabazz, Houston City Council Member
During a press conference last week, before the Montrose crosswalks were removed, Council Member Abbie Kamin warned that the ban extends far beyond LGBTQ+ symbols.
“It’s not just about targeting rainbows,” she said, noting that other community murals could be next.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump also weighed in, writing on social media, “The rainbow crosswalk is gone and now Houston’s Third Ward fears the George Floyd mural and Black Lives Matter tribute could be next. These are not political statements, they are sacred symbols of truth and history. You can’t erase pain by removing or painting over the truth.”
City officials are reviewing sites for compliance, as advocates warn that removing such art erases vital expressions of inclusion and remembrance.
