D.C. Cultural Landmark Paints Over Bill Cosby Mural, Who Do You Want Painted Next?

The remains of Bill Cosby’s lambasted legacy are being gradually scrubbed out, even by long-time allies. A five year-old mural of Cosby, Barack Obama, musician Chuck Brown and DJ Donnie Simpson on the wall of Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C. was painted over with layers of beige. Ben’s refused to cave to public opinion for the last few years, keeping their mural intact despite Cosby depiction after Cosby depiction were being removed elsewhere in the country. The mural is relatively new (painted in 2012) considering the Chili Bowl was opened in 1958, but its presence became more contested as Cosby’s decade-long rape scandal became national news. The decision to replace the mural got Ben’s trending on Twitter this morning.

The Ben’s Chili Bowl website only cited that “Now, after five years of braving the elements, it’s time to refresh and repaint the mural and we want your input!” The restaurant seems intent on an optimistic start so why all the portraits of African-American male role models were taken down with Cosby isn’t stated. Perhaps proprietors felt it was a betrayal to only take down Cosby’s image or perhaps the Chili Bowl wants to put the negative press in the past.

You can vote for the new mural on their website, and interestingly enough, Cosby is still one of the choices. Options include political and cultural icons (Alice Walker and Angela Davis for example) historic figures (Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. among others), music icons (Prince), sports figures including Muhammad Ali, and plenty of comedians including Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, George Lopez, Gabriel Iglesias, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Hart and John Leguizamo. Vote now at benschilibowl.com.

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Rachel Crowe

The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.
Rachel Crowe
Rachel Crowe
The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.