Black Santa Exhibition Brings Holiday Joy to KC

For decades, Wilhelmina L. Stewart collected Black Santas that showed off her community’s strength, joy, and holiday spirit.

Now, her cherished collection finds a new home this winter at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, offering Kansas City families a chance to experience Christmas through a lens of Black excellence and celebration.

“These are modern pieces meant to uplift Black people around the holidays,” says Emiel Cleaver, Executive Director of the Cultural Center. 

The exhibition transforms the cultural center & museum into a festive wonderland, featuring more than a dozen unique Black Santa figurines that Stewart carefully curated over her lifetime. As former president of the Friends of Bruce R. Watkins until her passing earlier this year, Stewart understood the power of positive representation, especially during the holidays.

Visitors will discover Santa figures of all sizes, from intimate workshop scenes to grand holiday displays. The collection features Black Santas in both traditional and contemporary outfits, accompanied by Black Mrs. Claus figures, angels, carolers, and elves – creating a complete celebration of African American holiday traditions.

A Brief History of Black Santa

The exhibition connects to a deeper history of representation in American holiday traditions:

• Late 1800s-Early 1900s: Black Santa appeared mainly as racist caricatures in minstrel shows and publications
• 1919: Volunteers of America in Pittsburgh hired what they claimed was the “first Negro Santa” in response to requests from Black children
• 1936: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson became Harlem’s first Black Santa, marking a turning point from earlier racist depictions
• 1943: Blumstein’s department store in Harlem hired its first Black Santa, leading other stores to follow
• 1960s: Black Santa became a symbol in the civil rights movement
• Late 1960s: Jesse Jackson organized “Black Christmas” parades in Chicago featuring Santas in African-inspired clothing giving Black Power salutes
• 2016: The Mall of America hired Larry Jefferson as its first Black Santa, sparking both celebration and racist backlash

More to Explore

Beyond the Santa collection, the center features a winter wonderland theme throughout the building. Visitors can also view the permanent Bruce R. Watkins exhibit with its documentary about his life, an exhibit on Buffalo Soldiers, and a monthly rotating display by the African American Artists Collective.

Wilhelmina L. Stewart Black Santas Collection Exhibition
Runs through Jan. 7, 2025
Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center & Museum 

3700 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, KCMO

Tues. – Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Free.