12/02/2025
Annual Katherine (Mommy) Christmas Moment: My Santa is Black AND Beautiful Like Me!🖤
So I grew surrounded by Christmas decorum that looked like my family, because representation was of the utmost importance to my mother. If you were a friend of my mother and you received a Christmas card, you would receive brown images of Christmas glory! The messages my mother constantly sent my way, before FB think pieces or really my own world wide connection to her wisdom, is why I continue to remain in awe of that woman as her mothering continues to speak to evolving stages of my life!
So story goes, as a little girl I was told by my mother that my Santa Claus was black. My mother informed me Santa morphs into the color of the family he delivers presents to. When he delivers to a black family, he’s black. When he delivers to an Asian family, he’s Asian, etc. So one day this little brown girl went to school, and of course the big man in the red suit was a hot topic, and I proudly proclaimed my Santa was black! My friends friends/classmates laughed and said, “You’re silly Shameitra, Santa is white.” Now nothing against my friends, many who are my best FB reunions, but this was the late 80’s and the standard image surrounding us was white Santa. My response: “your Santa maybe white but mine is black!” And this little (and only) brown girl is this conversation held strong to that belief.
I went home and told my mom how my classmates tried to tell me my Santa wasn’t black, and how I told them MY Mom told me the facts about my Santa. I remember her smiling and saying, “ Good Job Mommy!”
Later as a teen, my mom and I revisited that moment and I jokingly said, “ Mom how are you going to have me get into a Santa’s ethnicity debate knowing he’s imaginary?”
My Mom: First, I was proud of you because you did not allow the majority of people to tell you what wasn’t true about your truth! And second, who bought those gifts?”
Me: You and Dad
Mom: Your Dad is black. I am black. Therefore, your Santa was black.
Love that Woman!
