I Want Black People To Have Their Own Christmas

A Man Who Loved With Conditions

A simple Christmas ornament revealed so much about the structural racism that still permeates our most intimate relationships.

This is the true story of how a Black Santa Claus exposed the layers of prejudice hiding behind smiles and declarations of love.

When this Black woman told her story, I felt a tightness in my chest that only grew as each detail unfolded. Her white boyfriend, who always declared himself “not racist,” showed his true colors in front of a simple Christmas decoration.

A revelation that began long before, with seemingly harmless comments about diversity and inclusion programs.

“People should have opportunities based on merit, not race,” he would say in the first months of dating. An argument so common among those who never had to prove their worth twice because of their skin color.

It was just the beginning of a series of signs that she, like so many other women in love, initially chose to minimize.

The comments escalated subtly. “White men are being erased,” “Our culture is being stolen.” Words that sound like dogwhistles — those whistles that only certain ears can detect — signaling deeply rooted prejudice.

“That’s a statement,” he said upon seeing the Black Santa. A seemingly simple phrase that carries the weight of centuries of exclusion and privilege.