Atlanta coffee house paints over mural paying tribute to the late Jovita Moore

ATLANTA — An Atlanta coffeehouse is receiving backlash after painting over a mural of the late Channel 2 Action News anchor and reporter Jovita Moore.

The mural was painted on the side of Bellwood Coffee along Boulevard shortly after her death in 2021, just seven months after she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

She had been with Channel 2 Action News since 1998.

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When it was learned that the mural had been painted over, people took to social media to voice their displeasure.

Commenting to some of the people on X, Bellwood Coffee said, “The windows in our buildout cut into the mural significantly.”

“We knew Jovita Moore’s story, but we truly had no idea how much this specific mural meant to the community of Atlanta,” they said in the post.

Hey, it’s us.

We knew Jovita Moore’s story, but we truly had no idea how much this specific mural meant to the community of Atlanta. Unfortunately, the windows in our buildout cut into the mural significantly. Seeing how much this mural meant to so many, we realize we made a…
— Bellwood Coffee (@Bellwoodcoffeee) May 1, 2026

The coffee shop later posted another statement on Instagram saying they made a mistake:

“The truth is, the reasons aren’t good enough. We made a mistake and acted without enough consideration, and that is not reflective of the kind of people we want to be. For the 7 years that we have had this business, our heart has always been to build community in our city, yet this decision is driving us apart from many in our dear Atlanta community.

To those of you who are saddened, angry, disappointed: We hear you, and we understand. We want to make this right by commissioning another mural. We want to be better, to listen well to our community, and to slow down before making impactful decisions.”