Jim Boggess was looking for a way to celebrate his heritage with the community around him. A deli owner in Flemington, Boggess thought that he had found the best way to execute his idea. Customers passing by the window of the Main Street deli were greeted by the handwritten sign that read, “CELEBRATE YOUR WHITE HERITAGE IN MARCH, WHITE HISTORY MONTH.”
This sign was not received as Boggess hoped it would. One of his customers, Bhakti Curtis was particularly vocal about the sign. Curtis was of mixed-race decent, and when he happened upon the sign, became enraged. He went to the Flemington Police Department and filed a complaint. He stated that the sign was “mocking Black History Month,” and that the “T” in “WHITE” was crossed in the same style used by KKK.
