“It was very important for cultural representation, that kids see that someone as magical and amazing as Santa can be Black like them."

James Armstrong, president of Builders of Hope, an organization that builds affordable housing in Dallas, Texas, regarding the significance that having Black people portraying Santa Claus can have on children from communities of color. Finding a Black Santa is becoming increasingly common, but it has been a slow change. The Mall of America didn’t have its first Black Santa until 2016. (NPR — Dec. 18, 2021)