This black Santa brings visitors from across the South

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Close to 63% of Memphis residents are African-American, according to the U.S. Census. Yet the Santa Claus population remains — to apply census terms to the embodiment of Christmas magic — majority white.

Maybe that’s why travelers from across the South make a Memphis pit stop specifically to see the city’s most celebrated black mall Santa.

Black Santa

"Not to be funny, but they want to see a black Santa," said Raymond Conley, 65, the resident Kris Kringle for the past eight years at Southland Mall, the retail anchor for the South Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven. "They come from Texas, St. Louis, Atlanta... They want their kids to see a black Santa."

"We have at least 10 calls a day from people asking if we have Santa here," said Michael Rixter, general manager of Southland Mall. "The second question they ask is, 'Is he black?'"

The concept of a black Santa is hardly new. As early as the 1940s, stores in Harlem and Chicago hired black Santas. But even after the advent of "Black Power," when Brook Benton applied his silky baritone to the single "Soul Santa" in 1971, the notion was presented as more Utopian than likely: "Wouldn't it be so revealing/ If Santa had black kinky hair?/ I know his cheeks wouldn't be rosy/ But still you could tell the man was cold/ When you saw his red underwear peeking/ Over his soulful, soulful jelly roll."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-black-santa-brings-visitors-from-across-the-south/ar-BBHbbEe?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=edgsp

I hear Fox News heads exploding.

[Wounded Bear]

1. The Racial War on Christmas...

[procon]

3. Kids don't care! Black, white, green, they still love Santa.

A couple of years ago a took my great nieces to the mall to visit Santa and see his reindeer. The line was very long, so we just stopped to pet the beasties then did a bit of shopping and had lunch before returning to see Santa.

There must have been a shift change while we were gone because the first jolly fat man was white and the new white bearded Santa was a black gentleman. The kids didn't even notice the change, they were jumping up and down and overjoyed to actually talk to Santa Claus. It was a happy memory.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Ain't that the truth...

Racism is taught, not innate.

[SharonClark]

2. It's what a smart business does - please the customer.

Good for them.

[mainer]

4. He looks a lot more like the real St. Nicholas

than some blue-eyed white guy does.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/how-he-may-have-looked/

[Skittles]

6. he certainly looks jolly

[LeftInTX]

7. I can't understand Fox's war on Santa

Santa is whatever your parent(s) are. Gender may also be female.


I really don't care what the real St. Nick looked like. Very few Americans celebrate St. Nicholas Day anyway. So, I have no idea why they veered off into St. Nicholas.

[Blue_Tires]

8. I was about to say I'm in the south and have seen plenty of black Santas in my time

but then I remembered none of them were in malls...