DuSable Museum hate mail under investigation by Secret Service

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago's DuSable Museum has turned over hate mail letters to the U.S. Secret Service they received shortly after President Joe Biden's inauguration.

DuSable is America's oldest museum dedicated to African American history and culture.

"It's just essential people know what we are dealing with," said Perri Irmer, president and CEO of the DuSable Museum.

Days after President Biden's inauguration, Irmer said she received mail that had the president's image and a funeral banner, as well as latter warning the first lady to leave the White House in three days and leave Washington.

Irmer said the museum has received six of these types of letters in total.

"It is incredible at this time, with all the things we are dealing with, that a museum or any other cultural institution would be targeted this way," she said.

Irmer said the museum now has increased security at a time when they are already struggling. The pandemic has forced them to lay off staff. Irmer hopes to get federal funding to help with security costs.

"It's important that people are aware of this need and this targeting because today it may be the DuSable Museum of African American history, tomorrow it could be anybody else," she said.

The DuSable Museum is scheduled to reopen on June 19, with not only extra COVID protocols but now more safety measures.