The figure of Santa Claus, a jolly, gift-bearing icon, has long been a staple of the holiday season. However, the representation of Santa Claus has not always been inclusive. The history of African American Santa Claus is a testament to the ongoing struggle for representation and empowerment within the African American community and the broader American society.
The legend of Santa Claus is loosely based on Saint Nicholas, a monk who lived in the fourth century in modern-day Turkey. Nicholas was known for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.
Saint Nicholas of Myra
In the United States, the popular conception of Santa Claus can be traced to 1823 when the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (aka “The Night Before Christmas”) was published. During the 20th century, ad campaigns by companies like Coca-Cola depicted Santa Claus in his now iconic red and white suit.
Even before the civil rights movement, the holiday season had been a battleground for racial equality, with Santa Claus playing a prominent role. In 1863, during the Civil War, Harper’s Weekly published a cartoon depicting Santa Claus distributing gifts to Union soldiers, symbolizing the Union cause.
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Harper's Weekly cartoon from 1863
However, Santa Claus was also used as a propaganda tool to reinforce racial stereotypes. Minstrel shows in the late 19th century featured Blackface Santas who were portrayed as bumbling thieves and klutzes, mocking the Black community.
The Rise of Black Santa Claus
Despite the negative portrayals, Black communities began to develop their own version of Santa Claus, one that represented representation and empowerment. In 1919, the Pittsburgh Daily Post reported the first Black Santa “ever put on the streets of any city,” hired by Volunteers of America to appeal to poor children of color.
In the 1950s and 60s, the image of Black Santa evolved to become a civil rights figure. Many activists called out the portrayal of Santa as a white man as an example of whitewashing even children’s stories. More and more black Santas got hired to work in malls and department stores nationwide the following decade. Among them was the famous Macy’s flagship store in Manhattan.
By the time of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Santa became one of the many symbols of integration as groups like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) pushed for the inclusion of Black men to appear as Santa Claus in prominent department stores such as Macy’s.
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In December 1969, Reverend Otis Moss Jr., head of the local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, requested that Shillito’s department store in Cincinnati hire a Black man to play Santa Claus. This request was met with resistance, as the store manager believed that a Black Santa Claus would be incongruous with the traditional image. Moss still remembers how the civil rights leaders replied during the meeting. “Our response was: Then maybe it is incongruous that you would have Black customers.”
Growing up in the countryside on the outskirts of LaGrange, Georgia, Moss attended a one-room public schoolhouse. Even Christmas celebrations in LaGrange were divided along racial lines. “In my community, there were two images of Santa Claus,” Moss explains. “In our community, in church or in school, the person who played the role of Santa Claus was Black. But in the wider community, in the stores and in other presentations, Santa Claus was white.”
Other Black activists dramatically altered the figure’s image, a good example being the series of Chicago Black Christmas Parades of 1968, guided by Black Santa wearing a Black velvet dashiki with a black glove in support of African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who had protested the 1968 Summer Olympics two months earlier.
The Complex History Of Black Santa | A Thread
Black Santa in the 21st Century
Happily, these days it’s a bit easier to find black Santas for sale, and on public display. And this year Santa Larry made a big splash at the Mall of America in Minneapolis when his four-day, appointment-only stint nearly sold out. Army veteran Larry Jefferson-Gamble, who is African-American, drew a racially mixed crowd-African-Americans, and a lot of white and Latino kids, too. Santa Larry told the Huffington Post, “Kids love Santa no matter what color you are.”
Santa Larry at the Mall of America
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However, this Santa Claus diversity would become an innocent bystander of the conservative cultural backlash against the election of the first Black president, Barack Obama, and the purported ‘post-racialism’ his election represented. In 2016, the decision by the Mall of America to host their first Black Santa in the mall’s history initially received a positive response, only later to be met with scorn and backlash on social media.
Like many areas in American life, the symbols of Christmas are haunted by the specter of race hovering in the background. That said, I totally understand why it’s important that millions of Black children are exposed to a predominantly or exclusively Black Santa in their homes. It’s perfectly understandable after all for parents to have their children associate Santa with their own cultural background.
Though Santa Claus is a fictional character, there is not a fixed mold that determines what skin color he is. Rather, it should depend on how the people that love him perceive him. After all, Santa delivers presents to good-hearted children from all over the world, regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality. A black boy should be able to think and see Santa Claus, a caring and joyful person, as someone that looks like him.
The Enduring Significance of Black Santa
The history of African American Santa Claus is a complex and multifaceted one. From its origins in civil rights activism to its modern-day representation, the figure of Black Santa continues to be a symbol of representation, empowerment, and cultural inclusion. As society continues to grapple with issues of race and representation, the story of Black Santa serves as a reminder of the importance of diversity and the ongoing need to create a more inclusive and equitable world.
