A package containing Juneteenth-themed puzzles was set on fire outside the Museum of African American History’s Boston campus early Wednesday in Beacon Hill, and investigators are treating the incident as a suspected hate crime. No one was injured, but museum
Just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, a package sat outside 46 Joy St. in Beacon Hill—burned, torn open, and surrounded by scattered contents. The Museum of African American History says it was a Juneteenth-themed package. Boston police say the investigation is now focused on a suspected hate crime.
The Boston Police Department report says officers responded after the package was discovered burned and torn open outside the museum’s Boston campus. The contents had been scattered around the burned remains. In a neighborhood where buildings are closely packed and historic. African Meeting House and the adjacent Abiel Smith School sit on the museum’s campus—locations the museum describes as preserving and interpreting the history of Black communities in Boston from the Colonial era through the 19th century.
MAAH CEO and President Noelle Trent called the incident “particularly alarming,” telling Boston.com that nothing happened—but it still could have. She said the fire could have affected the neighborhood, the museum, and the surrounding buildings.
Trent also warned that even a small ember could spark a devastating fire among the closely packed structures that surround the museum’s campus. “This was a tremendous risk, so this was very distressing to us as an institution,” she said.
The police report describes the vandalism case as a “suspected hate crime” involving an alleged anti-Black racial bias. A BPD spokesperson confirmed Thursday afternoon that the investigation remains active.
National Park Service officers responded as well and documented the incident, according to the police report.
Later Thursday afternoon, Boston police posted an alert on Facebook seeking help identifying the suspected perpetrator. The department shared images of a person described as a white male. wearing a dark jacket. a light-colored shirt or sweatshirt underneath. dark pants. and white sneakers. Police said the person was also seen carrying a light-colored bag or package.
Trent said the museum is awaiting law enforcement’s determination about whether the incident meets the legal standard for a hate crime. She connected that uncertainty to a broader fight over African American history—how it is taught, and whether institutions that preserve it can be challenged.
“There is a movement that says that it is uncomfortable and disparages another community just by talking about the things that have happened to the Black community. ” Trent said. She said the museum acknowledges alternative perspectives, but refuses to stop telling the story. “We acknowledge that there are these alternative perspectives that are trying to silence us. but we refuse to do that. and so we are here to stand firm against that.”.
She pointed to a history of opposition that has reached beyond rhetoric. Trent said the MAAH experienced a similar incident in 2018 when its Nantucket campus was vandalized with racist graffiti and imagery.
“We have been here before,” Trent said. “It is not a space or place that we like to be in, but we, the institution, has experienced this.”
Trent described this week’s incident as more subtle than the 2018 vandalism, but said the implications are still significant. “Not everybody approves of that history. Not everybody appreciates that history,” she said. “But this moment is a sobering reminder that we must continue to stand up and continue to tell this story.”.
The museum leadership and board, Trent said, are dealing with a wide range of feelings. “There are a myriad of emotions that people are feeling — anger, frustration, despair, you name it,” she said. “We’re just trying to draw our strengths to figure out a way to move forward in this challenging moment.”.
Boston police Museum of African American History Beacon Hill arson suspected hate crime Juneteenth-themed puzzles Noelle Trent African Meeting House Abiel Smith School National Park Service
Seriously, setting a package on fire over Juneteenth puzzles? Come on.
I don’t get why people have to be hateful like that. It’s just some package, it says no one was hurt but still… Beacon Hill is all old buildings so why risk it.
Wait so it wasn’t actually the museum building? It was outside and “torn open” with scattered stuff, so wouldn’t it be more like vandals or maybe like an accidental fire from the package? Hate crime seems like a big leap but I guess if they found anti-Black stuff in it.
Juneteenth themed puzzles being burned is honestly disgusting. But also I saw something on here earlier about some fireworks stuff and now I’m wondering if people just mix everything up? Anyway I hope they catch whoever did it, because like the CEO said, even a little ember could’ve turned into a nightmare with those packed buildings.