I took this photo to share with you the Christmas tradition I grew up with. Every December my mom decorates the inside of our house with Black Santas and places a Black Angel on top of our tree. This is a consistent tradition in most Black family houses as well. This is significant because the way media, television, and movies stereotype "Santa Claus" as a white figure even though he is imaginary. So as a child I grew up believing Santa Claus was White, and whenever I would see a Black male disguised as Santa Claus I would automatically assume he was a fake because of his skin color. In the scene with "Baby Jesus", they are all people of color and for years Jesus has been portrayed as a White man, although there are theories of him being a man of color. At the end of the day nobody really knows the exact race of Jesus Christ either.
I captured this image at the local barbershop I attend almost at a weekly basis back home. The barbershop plays a significant role in Black/Latino culture. The barbershop has been known as the "Black Man's Country Club". Its a place where men of color of all ages go on a daily basis to get haircuts, argue about sports, and talk about women. I have practically grown up in a barbershop since I have been going to them since I was 4 years old. You can ask any Black man about that feeling after you get a fresh cut because you will walk out of the shop feeling like a new man!
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