At the corner of Boulevard and Rosalia in Grant Park, a grey wall marks where a vibrant mural once honored Jovita Moore, the legendary Atlanta journalist who shaped generations of broadcasters before her death from brain cancer in 2021.
The mural disappeared in April without warning, painted over with an advertisement for Bellwood Coffee that reads: "Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too." Community members woke to find their neighborhood landmark replaced.
By May, Bellwood Coffee acknowledged the misstep on social media. The owners admitted they hadn't known who Moore was before painting over the mural and hadn't bothered to ask. In a May 21 post, the business stated it was "in close contact with Jovita's family and are actively working on next steps in this process."
Two months later, the wall remains grey. No restoration has begun. No repainting has occurred. No repositioning of the mural elsewhere on the property has happened.
Tommy Bronx, the original muralist, has been in communication with the business about restoration work. When reached for comment, he said: "We're currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come."
A direct message to Bellwood Coffee's Instagram account requesting comment went unanswered.
Moore spent her career giving voice to Atlanta's stories and mentored journalists who work in local news today. Grant Park residents view the mural's erasure as evidence that their neighborhood is treated as secondary to business interests.
The original mural added color and history to the block. The grey wall that replaced it stands as a blank space where something meaningful once lived.
