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VERIFY: Yes, DC's giant Black Lives Matter mural started a nationwide trend

The massive, yellow Black Lives Matter mural on 16th Street in Washington, DC, was unveiled on June 5, predating replicas in major cities across the country.

WASHINGTON — QUESTION:

Dozens of cities across the country are painting "Black Lives Matter," on their streets. Was DC the first to do it?

ANSWER:

Yes

SOURCES:

Associated Press Images

Getty Images 

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PROCESS:

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser made national headlines after unveiling 16th street's Black Lives Matter mural. 

A part of 16th street was also renamed as "Black Lives Matter Plaza," the same day as the mural's unveiling.

The artwork has received a lot of buzz, but is it the first of its kind?

Using photos from the Associated Press and ones shared online by city governments to create a timeline, our Verify researchers found that, indeed DC’s mural appears to be the first unveiled on June 5.

RELATED: VERIFY: No, the White House address has not changed to 1600 Black Lives Matter Plaza

Within the past two weeks, there’s been some impressive replicas.

Charlotte, North Carolina unveiled it's own mural on June 9th.

Seattle, Washington artists debuted a mural on city streets on June 12th. 

RELATED: DC mayor unveils Black Lives Matter Plaza, mural painted on 16th Street

Credit: AP
An artist paints one of the large letters that read "Black Lives Matter" on a street near Cal Anderson Park, Thursday, June 11, 2020, inside what is being called the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" in Seattle. Following days of violent confrontations with protesters, police in Seattle have largely withdrawn from the neighborhood. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that Fulton Street in Brooklyn would be pedestrians-only for the summer after artists painted a "Black Lives Matter" mural. 

Credit: AP
A giant "BLACK LIVES MATTER" sign is painted in orange on Fulton Street, Monday, June 15, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Murals in Austin, Texas, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Los Angeles, California, were finished on June 16,  June 19, and June 13 respectively.

These are just a few examples of the murals popping up across the United States to commemorate the national movement.

RELATED: VERIFY: Your mail-in ballot will be sent regardless if it has a stamp or not

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RELATED: VERIFY: Did Starbucks ban employees from wearing BLM attire?

 

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