Searching for Santa

This year, as I prepare for the holidays, I've been searching for ornaments and decorations that will reflect our family. I know we're never going to find something perfect, like a figurine of carolers with a white mom, dad and two sisters, and one black baby, but I thought I would at least find a few black santas, angels, etc. to mix in with our current eccletic mix. Despite having ornaments from all over the world, the ornaments we own with people on them show mostly white folks.

I had always assumed that such ornaments and decorations were out there, but I just didn't know the right store to find them. Or, like many things, I never really paid attention. For example, I never perused hair care products for black women or truly studied them as I have now, before we adopted the Newbie. Before we adopted her, I did research on where to find hair salons, cards with representations of multicultural families, books, etc. and always found, with relative ease, what I was looking for.

Two weekends ago, I went to Frankenmuth, Michigan with my family. They have this totally insane holiday store there. I scored two black santas, three black angels, two black ballerinas, a ball ornament with a scene from Africa, and a ball ornament with a holiday greeting in Amharic. They even had some other choices, but they didn't fit with our family--for example, a black girl playing basketball(maybe in the future with the Newbie, but we're really short people).

I was talking with my stepmom about them and she got really excited,"Ohhh, a black santa? Can you tell me where you found him?" Apparently, these things are pretty hard to find! I was really thrilled with the Amharic ornament, but I assumed that a black santa was not particularly elusive. I did some google-ing and found a few things. Some ornaments on ebay, two or three websites. The selections weren't great, and often different stores carried the same products.

In my work, I struggle sometimes about how to explain white privilege. This is a perfect example. I never had to worry about whether I could find holiday decorations that looked like me! My parents could always buy me an ornament that looked like me doing something I liked to do--like playing tennis. White privilege is never having to search for a black santa, to take for granted that Santa looks like you. To never wonder why Santa at the mall is yet another white man. To watch a holiday movie where Santa visits a kid that could be me.

I'm grateful to have found what I needed, but am disappointed there isn't more.

ETA: For those of you who don't know me IRL, my step mom is black-- our exchange makes more sense if you know that.