The movement that prompted “Black Lives Matter” to be painted in bold yellow near the White House is in retreat. Its leaders are asking what comes next for social justice.

As D.C.’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ Plaza continues to be ripped up from the pavement north of the White House, messages of support for the movement have poured across several blocks of neighboring sidewalks.

The Black Lives Matter mural in Washington, D.C., was painted in June 2020 amid nationwide protests over the murder of George Floyd. Doug Mills/The New York Times As crews recently began dismantling the mural,