Jim Boggess wished to celebrate his background and give it to his neighborhood. Owning a deli in Flemington, he thought he had found the ideal approach to realize his idea. A handwritten note saying “CELEBRATE YOUR WHITE HERITAGE IN MARCH, WHITE HISTORY MONTH” greeted those passing the deli on Main Street.
This sign fell short of Boggess’s expectations. One of his clients, Bhakti Curtis, voiced great unhappiness over it. Particularly disappointed was Curtis, who is of mixed-race background, when he noticed the placard. Claiming the sign was “mocking Black History Month,” he visited the Flemington Police Department to file a complaint and saw the “T” in “WHITE” was wiped out in a KKK-like fashion.
Though the authorities did not find the sign to be racist or insulting, Boggess was still dealing with additional consequences. He finally chose to take down the sign after almost four days of inquiry. Sadly, by then the damage had already been done. His financial issues kept getting worse and customers started to shun the deli.
Boggess had to close the deli a month after the sign went up. This occurred even though he had made amends with Curtis; the two even shook hands and smiled for a picture together.
