The Mall of America Celebrates Its First Black Santa
For the first time in its 24-year history the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota has hired a black man to play Santa Claus.
Larry Jefferson, a retired U.S. Army veteran from Texas will be greeting and posing with children through Sunday as part of the mall’s Santa Experience.
Landon Luther, co-owner of the Santa Experience at the mall told The Minneapolis Star Tribune “that the move to hire a black Santa was a long time coming.” Adding, “we want Santa to be for everyone, period.”
While children of all races only see the jolly man dressed in a red suit as a symbol of the Holiday season, Johnson did say that children of color are especially excited to see him. “It gives them something to identify with, but Santa is still just Santa,” Jefferson said.
Mall of America welcomes its first black Santa https://t.co/TJ90SkjZLP pic.twitter.com/cus0Jy2Zg8
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) December 2, 2016
“It’s no big deal”, said Jefferson, “I’m still Santa, I just happen to be a Santa of Color.”
