.
. 4@>>>
. 4@>>> I
. 4@>>> I AM BRUCE JOHNSON THANKS
FOR JOINING US TONIGHT ON THIS
TUESDAY FOR THE Q&A.
WE BEGIN WITH THE LATEST ON THE
D.C. COUNCIL VOTE TO PERMANENTLY
NAME BLACK LIVES MATTER PLAZA
THE SECTION OF 16th STREET
NORTHWEST CLOSED OFF TO 4@TRAFF
SINCE D.C.4@ MAYOR MURIEL 4@BOW
HAD THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
MURAL PAINTED ON THE STREET AT
LEAST TO LAFAYETTE PARK IN
FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
THIS WAS IN WAKE OF THE PROTEST
OF GEORGE FLOYD'S KILLING BY
POLICE.
POLICE.
POLICE. I
POLICE. I RECENTLY REPORTED AREA
BUSINESSES THAT THEY'VE TAKEN A
FINANCIAL HIT 4@SINCE THE STREE
HAS BEEN CLOSED OFF FROM RIGHT
NOW I WANT TO BRING IN THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE4@ COUNCIL, PHIL
MENDELSON TELL ME WHAT THE
COUNCIL DID TODAY.
>> BRUCE, LET ME DOUBLE CHECK
WITH YOU CAN YOU 4@HEAR ME OKAY
>> WE HEAR YOU FINE.
LOUD AND CLEAR.
>> WE ADOPTED WHAT WE CALL4@
PERMANENT LEGISLATION WHEN WE
GOT TO THE NAMING OF 16th STREET
BETWEEN4@ H AND K STREETS4@. TH
IS DONE ON A TEMPORARY
EMERGENCY BASIS BACK IN JUNE
AND PERMANENT LEGISLATION IS
WHAT WE DID TODAY.
>> YOU NAMED THE PIECE OF REAL
ESTATE AND THAT HAD TO DO WITH
THE SIGN THAT HOVERS OVER THE
STREET THIS IS BLACK LIVES
MATTER.
MATTER.
MATTER. GOT THAT.
GOT THAT.
GOT THAT. WHAT ABOUT THE STRE4@ET BELOW A
THE MURAL THE MAYOR HAD4@ PAINT
IN THE STREET?
HAS COUNCIL TAKING ACTION ON
THAT OR CAN THE COUNCIL TAKE
ACTION ON 4@THAT?
>> ACTUALLY THE COUNCIL DID NOT
TAKE A4@CTION ON THAT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED 4@
TO.
TO.
TO. I
TO. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO.
>> THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE
WE HAVE BEEN COVERING THIS 4@
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. BUSINESSES THERE HAVE BEEN
COMPLAINING SINCE THE STREET
HAS BEEN CLOSED OFF, THEY HAVE
BEEN LOSING MONEY.
LOSING BUSINESS.
LOSING BUSINESS. HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE
BUSINESSES?
BUSINESSES? >> I HAVE NOT HEARD DIRECTLY
BUT I AM AWARE OF THAT ISSUE.
IT CERTAINLY IS A CONCERN.
I ALSO KNOW THE MAYOR AND HER
ADMINISTRATION WERE LOOKIN4@G A
HOW TO REOPEN.
MAYBE I SHOULD NOT PUT IT THAT
WAY BUT HOW TO MANAGE 16th
STREET BLACK LIVES MATTER PLAZA
WITHOUT CONTINUING TO HURT THE
BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALONG THOSE
TWO 4@BLOCKS.
TWO 4@BLOCKS. >> TELL ME IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD
ABOUT THIS BUT WE HAVE BEEN
REPORTING THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY
4@
REPORTING THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, SOME OF THEIR
DOLLARS, NOT ALL OF THEIR
DOLLARS HAS GONE INTO 16th
STREET, THE ROADWAY THROUGHOUT
THE AREA.
THE AREA.
THE AREA. THEY HAVE RULES AND REGULATIONS
THAT DEAL WITH 4@SIGNAGE OF
STREETS.
STREETS.
STREETS. YOU CANNOT OPEN THE STREET AS
LONG AS THE STREET IS PAINTED.
BLACK LIVES MATTER OR ANYTHING
ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. HAVE YOU HEARD THAT?
HAVE YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED 4@IN
@ THAT?
THAT?
THAT? >>
THAT? >> I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED
WITH THAT.
WITH THAT. I'VE HEARD THAT SECONDHAND.
I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT IS AN
INSURMOUNTABLE ISSUE.
INSURMOUNTABLE ISSUE. 4@ >> THERE ARE NEGOTIATIONS GOING
ON.
ON.
ON. AGAIN
ON. AGAIN IT IS PERMANENT NOW BLACK
LIVES IN PLAZA IS WHAT THE AREA
IS CALLED THE STRETCH OF 16th
STREET NORTH OF LAFAYETTE PARK?
CORRECT?
CORRECT?
CORRECT? >> BLACK LIVES 4@MATTER PLAZA.
IT IS A STATEMENT.
I THINK FOR D.C. TO MAKING A
STATEMENT LIKE THAT IS AN
IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
>> WHAT IS A STATEMENT YOU'RE
MAKING?
MAKING?
MAKING? >> LITERALLY THE BLACK LIVES
MATTER.
MATTER.
MATTER. BUT IT 4@IS MORE THAN THAT.
THE CITY CARES ABOUT DIVERSITY
AND RECOGNIZES THAT RACISM IS
FAR MORE PREVALENT IN SUBTLE
WAYS, THAT PEOPLE REALIZE.
WE NEED TO MAKE MORE OF AN
EFFORT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND COME
TO GRIPS WITH THAT.
>> WE CERTAINLY AGREE WITH
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. DITTO HERE.
DITTO HERE. PHIL MENDELSON, CHAIRMAN OF THE
D.C. COUNCIL, THANK YOU VERY