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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Lifestyle
Gloria Oladipo

Undeterred by racist incident, a Black Santa brings cheer to Arkansas

Chris Kennedy Santa Claus Arkansas
A Black Santa Claus with two kids on his lap.
Santa Claus with some lucky kids. Kennedy said that ‘even in fictional characters like Santa, Black kids need to see themselves reflected’. Photograph: Tina Sams Photography

An Arkansas man has continued his work as a professional Santa Claus to promote diversity, three years after receiving a racist note for displaying a Black Santa Claus statue in his yard.

Chris Kennedy, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, is currently in his third year as a professional Santa Claus. He attends both local and out-of-state events as “Santa Chris”. What once started as a rebuttal to a racist note about his diverse Christmas decorations has now grown into a bonafide, seasonal business that continues to thrive.

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