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 gesture quickly turned into a controversy that cost him his business.
The sign drew immediate criticism, particularly from Bhakti Curtis, a customer of mixed-race heritage. Curtis felt the sign mocked Black History Month and noted that the crossed “T” in “WHITE” resembled a symbol associated with the KKK. He filed a complaint with the Flemington Police Department, though authorities found the sign not to be racist or derogatory.
Despite the police’s conclusion, the backlash was intense. After four days of public scrutiny, Boggess removed the sign, but the damage was already done. Customers stopped coming to his deli, and his financial situation worsened. Even after apologizing to Curtis and taking a photo with him to show reconciliation, Boggess was forced to close his business a month later.
In a final effort to save his deli, Boggess started a GoFundMe campaign, explaining that his intention was to celebrate his heritage, not to offend anyone. While he received supportive messages from across the country, it wasn’t enough to save his business. Jim Boggess’s dream of running a successful deli was over.
