HOUSTON — The holiday season in Houston has become a time for families to start new traditions with figures that represent them. One Humble mom and her daughter had their first visit to Black Santa this weekend. The owner of Black Santa said representation matters to her family and hundreds of others who have signed up for photoshoots.
Many children have their Christmas wishes including 6-year-old Adoree Colligan.
“I want a bunny, a black one,” Colligan paid a visit to the North Pole for photos with Santa. Seeing a Santa that looks like Adoree is her mother’s wish.
“Representation is really big, especially for someone as young as she is,” Anike Allen said.
Allen said that after watching the Winter Olympics, her daughter paid close attention to the black male and female athletes on TV.
“We got toys and dolls that represented those figures in gymnastics and the lights go off, you see that aha moment, like, ‘I might be able to do that myself,’” Allen said.
Magan Butler-Coleman, owner and founder of the Black Santa Houston, said 400 families have signed up for photos in the studio with Black Santa. It's her fifth season of doing holiday activities. Families have traveled, not just from Houston, but as far as Washington state for photos.
“As a mother, for me, it’s more about families knowing Santa is a reflection of their family, right so, he’s Santa, no matter what color he is,” Butler-Coleman said as she discussed the beginnings of her business and what inspired her to do this for others.
“It means the world to me because for me it's just very important that children as they’re developing, they see images that reflect themselves no matter what,” Butler-Coleman said.
While one woman creates memories for Black families, a Houston-area man dressing as Pancho Claus is providing the same opportunity for the Latino community.
Pancho Claus posed for photos with families at the Latino Learning Center on Saturday. He’s also raising money to buy toys for children in need throughout Houston and the Rio Grande Valley.
You can view the events schedule for Black Santa Houston on their website. If you’re interested, you can donate to Pancho Claus’ GoFundMe page.