Bellwood Coffee has unveiled new artwork of Jovita Moore after the company faced community pushback this summer for covering up a mural of the late WSB-TV news anchor.
In May, the local coffee company faced backlash from residents after its new cafe in Grant Park covered up a colorful mural dedicated to Moore with dark gray paint and an advertisement for the business.
Moore passed away at age 53 in 2021 from brain cancer. The original mural, which featured her face and name, was painted by local artist Tommy Bronx that same year. The work was commissioned by soccer team Atlanta United FC as part of a series of murals across the city depicting community leaders.
After the mural’s cover-up went viral, Bellwood Coffee posted on Instagram on May 1 that it “made a mistake” and planned to commission a new mural of Moore. Earlier this month, one of the owners of the company, Charles Norman, told Capital B Atlanta that they were working closely with members of Moore’s family on the mural and that the art was still in the “design process.”
On Thursday, the company announced on Instagram that the mural was officially complete, saying that the artwork “celebrates Jovita the way so many remember her: radiant, full of warmth, and wearing the smile that made Atlanta feel a little more like home.”
“Over the last few months, we’ve had the privilege of spending time with the people who knew and loved Jovita Moore best. Through those conversations, we’ve come to know a little more about the remarkable woman she was. Their kindness, honesty, and willingness to extend us grace reminded us that community is built through listening, learning, and showing up,” the company wrote.
Bellwood also shared that it has added a drink to the menu to honor Moore, calling it the JoMo, which is an iced strawberry, vanilla matcha latte. The company said it will donate $2 from every JoMo sold through the month of August to the National Brain Tumor Society.
The original mural was painted in 2021 after Moore passed away at age 53. (Madeline Thigpen/Capital B) 
Bellwood Coffee covered up the mural in May, sparking a backlash from the community. (Alyssa Johnson/Capital B) 
The new mural has drawn praise for honoring Moore’s life and being a symbol of responding to the needs of the community. (Alyssa Johnson/Capital B)
Bronx was enlisted to come back to create the new mural of the news anchor. He told WSB-TV that he asked Moore’s children for input on the new design, to which he added Moore’s favorite roses and brighter colors to the new artwork.
“Seeing how deeply this mural resonated reminded all of us that public art belongs to the community,” Bronx said in a statement. “It is an honor to once again celebrate Jovita’s life and create something that reflects the love Atlanta continues to have for her.”
Moore’s daughter and son, Shelby and Josh Griffith, posed for a photo with Bronx and the owners of Bellwood Coffee in front of the mural during its unveiling.
“This mural is about far more than paint on a wall,” Shelby said in a statement. “It represents Atlanta’s collective memory, our appreciation for my mom, Jovita Moore’s remarkable life, and our belief that the people who shape our communities should never be forgotten.”
Atiba Mbiwan, a longtime Grant Park resident, told Capital B Atlanta in May that he felt that Bellwood Coffee had disregarded the community when it decided to cover the mural. Today, he said he plans to “congratulate” the owners for “doing the right thing.”
“They exceeded all of my expectations by engaging with the family, it was a great example of doing right after doing wrong,” Mbiwan said.
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