In Flemington, New Jersey, a store owner tried to honour his history, but it backfired badly with the public.
Bhakti Curtis, a customer who says she is of mixed race, was especially upset by the sign. To Curtis, it was an insult to Black History Month and looked like something from the Ku Klux Klan. Even though the cops said the sign wasn’t racist or clearly offensive, the community responded quickly and harshly.
Boggess took down the sign because of all the negative feedback, but the damage was already done. Customers left because of the trouble, and Boggess is now having a hard time keeping his business going. Even though he tried to fix things with people, like making peace with Curtis, the deli’s image was hurt beyond repair. Boggess had to make the hard choice to close his business a month after the sign was put up for the first time.
A national discussion about free speech, ethnic awareness, and the power of public opinion began because of the event. Boggess explained his actions by saying that the sign was a way to honour his roots. Others, though, said the sign was rude and didn’t take into account the history of racial problems in the United States.
People should be aware of how hard it is to run a business these days because of the debate over Boggess’s sign. In an effort to honour his history, he accidentally caused anger, which cost him his job and forced him to close his store for good.
