Hate mail sent to DuSable Museum threatens Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Obama family, officials say
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The Secret Service is investigating six threatening letters sent to the DuSable Museum of African American History that mention President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Obama family, among others, according to the museum.
DuSable, in Washington Park, received the first letter Jan. 22, two days after Biden and Harris were sworn into office. Since then, the museum has received five additional letters, the most recent one arriving Friday.
The Secret Service said in a statement that it “does not confirm the existence or absence of a potentially ongoing investigation.”
Perri Irmer, president and CEO of the museum, said DuSable is “no stranger to racial hate mail.” As the oldest independent Black museum in the country, DuSable is a “symbol” of a truth-telling institution sharing Black stories and history, Irmer said.
This time, though, is different, Irmer said. Not only is it the first time Irmer knows of that the museum has received six letters from what appears to be the same sender, but it also threatened the president, vice president and other elected officials, Irmer said.
The letters also reference House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Elizabeth Warren, among others.
“We have to take everything seriously,” Irmer said. “Folks out here who spew hatred and racial violence, they’re not going to be ignored. Until we understand the threat, it’s much more difficult to guard against it.”
Irmer said the letters, one of which was addressed to her directly, are “distressing,” “discouraging” and “disturbing.”
The museum contacted the Secret Service when they received the first letter, Irmer said, in addition to the FBI, Chicago Police Department and Chicago Park District, since the museum is on Park District land.
In light of the letters, the museum has upped its security, Irmer said, but the added security expense “wasn’t in our meager budget.”
Having remained closed during the pandemic, the DuSable museum plans to reopen on Juneteenth — June 19 — which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. Even in light of the hate mail, Irmer said the museum is “marching on.”
“Education and knowledge, that really is the cure to this evil of racism and bigotry,” Irmer said. “It’s more important now than ever. ... We are the ones to bring this situation to light, to make people aware of it.”
