Hey kids,
We live in a world of over 6 billion individuals. That’s easy to say but harder to comprehend. That’s 6 billion individual, singular, unique combinations of chromosomes and genetic material all going through their own life events and being pushed through their own combination of influences and pressures. Literally no two people are the same, just as no two people can ever think the same, talk the same, walk the same, balk the same, you get the point. This is an interesting idea to comprehend, but also an essential cog in my argument for which I will explain in 3…2…1…NOW!
Earlier today my Father told me the story of a High School teacher who during a special Christmas themed dress up day at his school, joked about a black student dressing up as Santa Claus. In essence he said something to the effect of, “You can’t dress like that kid, Santa is white!”, for which that teacher was handily punished by the school and I’m sure has undergone his fair share of internet abuse over the last few days. Now, the question dear friends is this, is Santa Claus Black or White? I’m here to say, neither. And here’s why.
Hate to break it to those among us clinging the the child within your souls, but Santa is a figment of your imagination, a construct brought to life each year through the combined efforts of parents across the world, Tim Allen’s movies, and the Coca Cola Company. I know this statement is sacrilege to the 10 year old within me, but it’s true. Santa was your parents kids; they stacked the gifts, hijacked your letters, ate the cookies, and swept up the carrots you left for the reindeer. But those are facts that we all know, now as more or less adults. We know that Santa Claus is an impossibility like the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. Now, ask any one of us what Santa Claus looks like and I guarantee we’ll say the same thing. Old White dude, fluffy white beard, and a red nose. Basically he looks like everyone’s Grandpa or that drifter you always see sitting at that bus stop in the shady part of town. For us Santa is white because that is the person we grew up seeing and watching. We sat on White dude’s laps, whispering what we wanted for Christmas, we wrote letters to some jolly white guy who lived in the North Pole with a stable of rabid Reindeer and a population of Little People forced into indentured servitude. Easy peasy right?
But here’s the thing. What about the kids that grew up in Africa? They get Santa Claus I’m sure; what do they do then? Do old white dudes get bussed into Zambia every December to duck and cover from Rebel militia fire while simultaneously hearing how Suzy wants a dolly that talks? I doubt it. My point is that most things in this world can be understood better when seen through the avenue of perspective. Each perspective is different, and nine times out’ve ten our perspectives were what we perceived in the world around us growing up. So, if a kid from India grows up with a Santa Claus that’s a bit more on the tan side, does that make his belief any less valid? Is a black child growing up in an impoverished part of town who’s only vision of Santa Claus was when his uncle decided to dress up and surprise him Christmas Eve wrong for envisioning this beacon of merriment and cheer as a white bearded black man? I don’t think so; and I’ll be damned if anyone I know has the balls to tell that happy kid otherwise.
Santa Claus isn’t a person, we know this, but really he’s more than that. He’s a symbol, kinda like Batman. Batman can be anyone because he is more than just a man, he’s a symbol of unrelenting justice that is unbiased and unprejudiced. Now, while there has never been a black Batman there’s really no reason why there couldn’t be one. Not a Black Bruce Wayne because that would break the whole history of the character, but Batman can be anyone, why not a Black guy? Same for Santa Claus. He’s a symbol of joy and giving, a jolly old elf whose sole purpose in existing is to make children happy. Does it matter what pigment the guy’s got? I don’t think so.
I’m not getting racial here kids, oh no, actually the direct opposite. I believe that we should push for a world where we are blind to the color of a person’s skin, so it’s not a White Santa Claus or a Black Santa Claus but instead just Santa Claus because that’s what matters in the end. I believe in the power of Santa Claus, the power to bring happiness to a great many people regardless of their skin color. Race is just a silly thing that divides us, even at a superficial level. Once we can eradicate that moronic barrier between peoples of different backgrounds, perhaps there can truly be Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward All Men. But I’m an optimist so take all this with a grain of salt and a pound of Fruit Cake. But I’m alright with that because let’s be honest, when is there ever a better time to be optimistic than Christmas?
Thanks for reading kids. See ya next time,
Jeremy
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