Jim Boggess, a deli owner in Flemington, wanted to celebrate his heritage in a unique way. In March 2015, he posted a handwritten sign in his store window that read, “CELEBRATE YOUR WHITE HERITAGE IN MARCH, WHITE HISTORY MONTH.” What he thought was a harmless expression of pride quickly turned into a nightmare.
The sign sparked immediate backlash. Bhakti Curtis, a customer of mixed-race heritage, was particularly upset. He felt the sign mocked Black History Month and noted that the crossed “T” in “WHITE” resembled a symbol associated with the KKK. Curtis filed a complaint with the Flemington Police Department, though authorities found the sign neither racist nor derogatory.
Despite the police’s conclusion, the controversy didn’t die down. After four days of public scrutiny, Boggess removed the sign, but the damage was already done. Customers stopped coming to his deli, and his business began to suffer. A month later, he was forced to close his doors, even after apologizing to Curtis and taking a photo with him to show reconciliation.
In a last-ditch effort to save his business, Boggess started a GoFundMe campaign titled “Jimbos white history sign gone bad.” He explained that his intention was never to offend anyone but to celebrate his heritage like others do. While he received letters of support from across the country, it wasn’t enough to save his deli. Jim Boggess lost not just his business but also his American dream.
