Christopher Pegeas, 5, makes his first visit to see Santa during the 29th year of Soul Santa at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.
Most of us know who Santa Claus is when we see him. There’s the beard, red suit and hat, black belt and boots, glasses. His size and personality are often described as big and jolly, and sometimes there is mention of his rosy cheeks.
Traditionally, Santas have mostly been presented as white guys. Miller & Rhoads’ popular “Legendary Santa” in Richmond, for example, was white. He started at the department store downtown in 1936 and lasted more than five decades there; he still appears at the Children’s Museum of Richmond.
But in 1992, Richmond’s Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia wanted to change that. A famous doll study — conducted by Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark in the early 1950s and used in the Brown v. Board of Education court case to demonstrate how racism is internalized — points to the need for children to see and interact with positive figures who look like them.
“A year after the founding of the museum, it was believed that there should be a Santa who looked like children in the community, so they could identify with him,” says Faithe Norrell, history services associate for the museum.
Soul Santa has been an annual tradition at the museum ever since, visiting with thousands of children and their families over the years. His visits were virtual in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he was back in person this year. Norrell says nearly 500 people shared their holiday wishes with him during the two-day event earlier this month. And his appeal isn’t limited to African Americans. “Children from many different cultural backgrounds enjoy seeing Soul Santa,” she says.
Richmond native Floyd Lee Brown Jr. wore the red suit for the BHMCC this year. He is the fourth person to play the role since the event began, following in the boots of Waverly R. Crawley Jr., Cord Cahill and Harry Henry.
Brown says the role is hardly work for him because it is so much fun. “I see it as my way of giving back,” he says. He had been serving as Santa in a local daycare before making his debut at the museum in 2018. Brown’s passion for working with young people also shines through in his positions as a cafeteria manager for Richmond Public Schools and recreational instructor for the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities.
It’s no surprise, then, that Brown’s favorite part of the role is meeting with children. During the pandemic, virtual broadcasts included cooking demonstrations and many of the features of the in-person event, but instead of having a quick chat with Santa, children who participated received a personalized letter in the mail from him.
This year’s program included photos with Soul Santa and several NBC 12 personalities who served as elves, a craft-making activity and story, and refreshments. Visits with Soul Santa and the subsequent activities were rotated on a schedule to keep group sizes small and minimize the risk of spreading illness.
A young woman who sat on Soul Santa’s lap as a child recently told Norrell that she has very fond memories of the experience, so fond that she decided to have her wedding at the museum last year. Says Norrell, “Soul Santa has had a positive impact in the community for many years.”
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