Where Did the Black Santa Claus Go?

This weekend I popped into the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza to pick up something for my grandmother.  I wasn’t particularly pleased about having to brave the mall during the great American shopping frenzy, but the nonetheless, it’s Grandma.  What are you going to do?

So while I’m in the mall, I remember that I wanted to take a photo with Santa.  Now before ya’ll get to sending me emails, no, I do not partake in the celebration of Christmas.  I’m a Umoja Kujichagulia Ujima Ujamaa Nia Kuumba Imani kind of girl, if you know what I mean.

The only reason I was even willing to sit on a grown man’s lap and be pictured doing it no less, was that I had intentions of kicking off a campaign on my site that would encourage others to email me their family holiday photos.  The photos were going to be used for a montage I wanted to create on my site showing the diversity of our families from coast to coast.  Similar to the Jena 6 Day photo montage I posted earlier this year.

Now, back to the story.

So I get over to Santa’s Winter Wonderland and the crowd of determined parents with that “I’m gonna get my holiday photo today if it kills you” look in their eyes as they fuss over their fidgety young kids, most of whom don’t know what to make of the scary person dressed in red that keeps belting out “ho ho ho” only to terrify the kids even more, but I digressed.  Well anyway, I get over to the line for Santa only to find out that Santa had lightened up quite a bit.  In other words, Santa was not Black.

After I picked my face up off the floor, I went over to Santa’s Little Helper and asked what the deal was.  All I see in line is little Black and brown kids with their parents.  Where is the multicultural Santa?  I’m sorry but if I am going to place my ass on the knee of a grown ass man in a red suit and give him his kicks for the day, the least the mall can do is provide me with a Black Santa.  Hell, I’d even settle for a light skinned Santa and share in the holiday spirit with the many Latino families that were also in line.

Now if you live in Los Angeles, south of the 10, east of the 405, west of the 110, and north of the 105 freeways, then you know like I know that the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza is more or less considered the Black and brown mall of Los Angeles.  The mall is situated on at the intersection of Crenshaw and King Blvds., and we all know that wherever there’s a street named after Dr. King…well then there you are.

So now given that 99 percent of the malls patrons are Black and brown, why then would the mall hire a Santa Claus that is not?

Santa’s Little Helper, Latino herself, I don’t think quite understood where I was coming from.  And with a line of anxious parents to contend with, I didn’t rate high on her list of priorities.  No worries, I hit it cause I’ll be damned if I am going to take a picture with a Santa Claus that isn’t African-American. 

But this isn’t over yet.  I’m going to contact the mall’s management today to find out what the deal is with the Black Santa.  As much money as Blacks spend up in that mall, I feel that the least the mall can do is make sure that its Santa Claus is representative of the people it serves.  Don’t you?

Comments

[Tom]

After reading this I couldn't help but recall a time when predominantly White neighborhoods didn't want a black Santa Claus in their mall either.

They were forced to hire a black Santa then. Your neighborhood mall is forced to hire a white one now.

Deal with your issues honey. You are racist.

[kev]

GROW UP AND GET A GRIP!the myth that is "santa" dates back hundreds of years,and stems from scandinavia..this is a traditional time of year.why would you want to,or even try to make a problem about this long lived childrens dream?i think you are an angry and racist person.radicals like yourself cause proplems..live and let live!

[faxman]

Santa is Santa Period!

He represents the Goodness in the hearts of all Human Beings of All Colors. Just ask a kid if he is worried about what color Santa's face is?

Kids Love everyone they are taught to love.

Kids are not racist, they have to be taught.

Parents set values of children. Maybe it should be the other way around.

Me? I love everyone because we are all FAMILY!

[S]

Do you see white people complaining when their local 'Santa' happens to be a black, or asian employee? It's a job, and the colour of the relevant person's skin should not be an issue. You seem to be implying that the shopping centre management should not have employed the caucasian Santa because he is...white. But is that not a clear cut definition of racism? And regardless of the fact that this particular shopping centre is dominated by black and brown Americans, that should not (and clearly does not) restrict white people from getting a position of employment there. And people like you shouldn't have such a prejudice against a man just earning his own.

[V]

Santa IS white.

And Pat, why in the world would you want to kill the wonder for a child that surrounds Santa? Eventually we all learn that Santa is our parents, and we love them then for it. To want to have the child believe in you for that from the get go is selfish.

Growing up we were poor, and every year Santa came and brought us presents. My mom, unknown to us, would immediately hide many of them for us so she could rewrap them for next year so we would always have something to open from Santa, just in case she couldn't afford anything. Little kids don't care about the race of a Santa, just that they are good enough boys and girls to get something from Santa. There is so much hate and ugliness in the world why take a little wonder and joy away from a child?

There is a folklore and legend that surrounds Santa and where he came from and these myths are from Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, etc, countries that were predominantly white. Some may wish that Santa wasn't white, but he is.

[Antwan]

Since I never believed there was a Santa, and, anyone who lies to a kid that there is, this whole scene is too funny. When I lived in SF, one mall had a white Santa, a black one and an Asian one, so, parents/kids could pick which one they wanted, which makes since, since in most areas populated by people of color, the only white man is usually the popo abusing someone's right.

But, it the parents don't complain, don't expect a change, since many fall for this sort of commercialism without ever thinking anyway, other than they know those kids aren't going to be getting what they are asking the white dude for!

[Pat]

When I was a little girl, my Civil Rights activist father worked two jobs to provide for our family. He told us very early that no white man was going to bring anything to our neighborhood.Plus, we didn't have a chimney! He was overjoyed when someone stole the white doll that he told my mother not to buy for me. (She only brought it cause I begged for the doll and she couldn't find it in black. To this day, I think he secretly stole that doll himself.)I continued the tradition by telling my son that he had a Santa Mommy. Of course the daycare workers weren't happy cause they say my son spoiled it for the other kids, but I submit that if we want something our children can believe in, why not make it ourselves? Do we need to rely on a childhood fantasy that is so commercial and overdone?

[Maggie]

It may be that the mall was keeping with tradition by having a Caucasion Santa clause. Because the story is from Russia, one of Russia's mot promminent churches bears St.Nicks name.

Also, because of teleivision and books, dipiction a white Santa children may be more convinced.

that what i think.