Finding a Black Santa for Christmas photos and events is becoming more and more common across communities of color across the United States—and internationally. In Arkansas, one Black father was inspired to put on his Santa suit after an incident of racism in his neighborhood.
Since 2021, Chris Kennedy has been donning his red suit and white beard to show a more diverse representation of the iconic holiday figure and bring joy to children of all ages. Kennedy, who calls himself “Santa Chris,” says he got the idea after receiving racist hate mail in response to a Black Santa inflatable he had in his yard at his home in North Little Rock.
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The balloon was intended to show a diverse representation of Santa to his young daughter, Kennedy explained, but racist neighbors were having none of it. Kennedy said the anonymous letter writer demanded he remove the Black balloon figure from his yard, claiming it was “trying to deceive kids into believing that Santa was Black.”
After posting about the incident on Facebook, others in the area—who were just as outraged—joined Kennedy’s movement and displayed Black Santas in their own yards. Undeterred, Kennedy decided to take things even further and become Santa himself. And he took his training seriously, even enrolling in Santa Camp, a two-day boot camp in New Hampshire that gets professional Santas, Mrs. Clauses and elves in tip-top shape. His experience as the only Santa of color was captured in the HBOMax film Santa Camp.
“We [wanted to] send the message that not only are we not taking our decorations down, but now [I was] going to be Santa Claus,” Kennedy told The Guardian.
“Even in fictional characters like Santa, Black kids need to see themselves reflected,” he added.
Kennedy says he loves that his interpretation of Santa allows Black people of all ages to see a little bit of themselves in such an iconic character.
“The Black kids that see Santa being Black love it and freak out,” Kennedy said. “[The older Black people] will tell you they’ve never seen a Black Santa. So they’re super happy.”
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