Latosha Clemons, the first Black female deputy fire chief and the only Black female firefighter in Boynton Beach, Florida was suppose to be depicted in planned public arts mural. However, when the mural was unveiled Clemons’ image had been replaced by a white face.
The mural was also suppose to show the former fire chief, Glenn Joseph, but he was also depicted with a white face. Now Clemons has hired a lawyer to find out how the mural ended up featuring only white firefighters. She gave a statement to NBC News saying,
“I wanted little Black girls to look at that mural and know they can have their face on a mural,”
In response, a spokesperson for the city of Boynton Beach said “The City Manager has concluded her inquiry into this matter and issued a public apology to Deputy Chief of Operations Latosha Clemons and Chief Glenn Joseph for the alterations of their photos … and the mural was removed Thursday, June 4.
Although a date has yet to be announced the city promises to replace the mural with the real depictions.
