from Colorlines
The infamous “Father’s Day” mural in North Philadelphia, which was slated for expedited removal by the city, has been painted over as of Wednesday. The removal of the controversial mural, which prominently features Philadelphia native Bill Cosby alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela, didn’t happen quick enough to prevent numerous taggings, including one that prominently read “RAPIST.”
In photos provided to Colorlines and several other Philadelphia publications by a city resident who observed the mural’s status over several weeks, the mural’s tags are very prominent. The photo above shows the entire mural, including the other non-Cosby personalities, painted over.
The 2008 mural, which was slated for removal before sexual assault accusations against Cosby grew because of structural deficiencies, had its removal prioritized by the City of Philadelphia in light of mounting evidence that Cosby drugged and raped many women. The mural stood close to Temple University, Cosby’s alma mater; Andrea Constand, whose civil suit against Cosby produced the now-partially-unearthed deposition that has led many former allies to turn against the actor, met Cosby while she was a Temple University employee.
