Contrary to what some Fox News anchors may say, Christmas—and indeed, Santa—is not 'white' for everyone. An African-American Santa made an appearance in the heart of Los Angeles to mixed reviews. For some children, having a St. Nick they can identify with makes the world of difference.
According to an article in the L.A. Times, in almost a decade, Langston Patterson has grown a special audience that travels from all over to visit his mall throne at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.
"We need our kids to understand that good things happen in chocolate skin," said 50-year-old grandmother, Til Prince. "We are often bombarded with the opposite. We're not trying to exclude anybody, but [instead] celebrate our chocolate skin."
But in tune with the shifting demographics in L.A., the Crenshaw mall now also features a Latino Santa.
Patterson, however, claims donning the red suit isn't so much about skin colour for him but about "giving back and making the kids happy." Frankly, as long as he doesn't behave like this naughty Santa, I don't care what he looks like.
Should Kris Kringle come in different racial packages, or is it wrong to deviate from the traditional—i.e. white—image of St. Nick?
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