In an apparent publicity stunt gone wrong, a New Jersey shop owner who is proud of his own heritage decided that he was going to hang a sign in the window of his store, a sign encouraging people to, well, celebrate their white heritage. However, the move is causing controversy among the residents of Flemington, New Jersey.
No matter what ethnicity or religion you belong to, according to Jim Boggess, proprietor of Jimbo’s Deli in Flemington, you should be able to be proud of whom you are. Jim posted a sign that read “Celebrate your white heritage in March, White History Month,” on his window as a way to express pride in his racial heritage.
The sign, however, was met with a great deal of criticism, with some even alleging that it featured Ku Klux Klan symbols.
The shop owner said, “I just want to be included. Why is this such a big deal? I don’t get it. I love everybody, and everybody should celebrate what they are. I shouldn’t have to feel bad about being white.”
Jim Boggess claims that if there is any racial discrimination, it is from those who object to his sign because he is white. He observed that many other groups are able to commemorate their heritage and questioned why he wasn’t one of them. He asserted that he is now the victim of racism in spite of the response.
Bhakti Curtis, a former client who is bi-racial, claimed that the banner is “mocking Black History Month.” After seeing the sign, Curtis told Boggess that it insulted him and reported it to the Flemington police on the grounds that it is “racist” and that it disturbed him.
When an officer visited Jimbo’s, examined the sign, and spoke with Boggess, he came to the conclusion that no additional police action was required because the sign wasn’t offensive or racist.
Curtis said, “A business can’t go putting racist signs in the window because everybody has a right to go in that store. Everybody! And have a right to buy something from that man and not feel demoralized or degraded.” Although Curtis is part white, he disagrees with White History Month. “I’m black, Irish and Polish but I look black. I grew up in a white family, and I love white people. I just hate racism,” he said.
Jim Boggess eventually removed the White History Month sign and apologized to Bhakti Curtis, who accepted the apology and suggested that he and Boggess pose for a photo depicting the restoration of harmony in their small corner of the world. The volume and hostility of the responses to their story astounded both Boggess and Curtis.
“I never meant it to be a black/white thing.” Jim Boggess said. He was also saddened by what others were saying about Bhakti Curtis, who has been a close friend of his for a long time, “I only meant it to be a white thing.”
However, after the incident, he was forced to go out of business. Although Boggess received tons of supporting letters from all across the country, customers were no longer coming into his deli.
Making a political statement as a business always carries a certain amount of risk and frequently results in failure. That appears to be the situation here. Do we need Black History Month? Is Black History Month necessary? Well…
Watch the video below for more details: