The city erased multiple Black Lives Matter crosswalks in South Dallas on Wednesday, two days after the removal of Oak Lawn’s rainbow crosswalks began. Some residents and officials say the removals feel like they’re stripping the community of its identity.

Dallas City Council member Adam Bazaldua said removing the crosswalk art from the South Dallas intersections is part of a broad pattern of actions targeting what brings the community together: a sense of place and identity.

“At a time when symbols of representation and our sense of self are being stripped away by this administration, this decision is yet another blow in that broader fight,” said Bazaldua, who represents District 7 in South Dallas. “The state may claim that removing these crosswalks is about roadway safety, but that claim does not hold up.”

The artworks’ removal is in compliance with Gov. Greg Abbott’s Oct. 8 directive that instructs Texas cities and counties to remove “political ideologies” from public roadways.

City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert’s request for an exemption was denied in January, and the city then had 90 days to comply. Officials plan to remove 30 crosswalks — including the rainbow and BLM crosswalks — by April 28.

The first BLM crosswalk in Dallas was unveiled in January 2022, with plans for five similar crosswalks to be painted throughout the area.

Abounding Prosperity, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on supporting and eliminating disparities in the Black community, helped fund the artwork.

“We’re disappointed. The crosswalks are symbols of history, legacy and identity for the community,” Tamara Stephany, chief executive operator of Abounding Prosperity, said. “It’s unfortunate because visibility matters. Inclusion matters.”

Stephany said the organization will remain focused on what the community needs, including health care access and support with the rising cost of living.

A Wednesday Facebook post from Hasani Burton, who owns property near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X boulevards, shows video of large trucks removing paint from the crosswalks around 9 a.m. The Dallas Morning News contacted Burton for comment via social media and phone call but did not immediately hear back.

Officials at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, located near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X boulevards, declined to comment about the crosswalk’s removal.

On Tuesday, Mason Whiteside, 25, was arrested after he repainted more than a dozen rainbow crosswalks in Oak Lawn, in what he considered a vibrant act of defiance.

“Every single time they try to take it away,” Whiteside said, “I’m going to put it right back.”

A previous statement from the city said officials plan to collaborate with affected neighborhoods to come up with public art that reflects their community’s values.

“We have already begun reimagining how to incorporate these hallmarks back into our city, and I am confident that what comes next will be even more visible and intentional than before,” Bazaldua said.

The Black Lives Matter crosswalks in South Dallas were located at the intersections of:

• Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X boulevards
• Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Ervay Street
• Al Lipscomb Way and Malcolm X Boulevard
• Al Lipscomb Way and South Ervay Street

Staff writers Jamie Landers, Devyani Chhetri and Aria Jones contributed to this report.