Meet the first black Santa at the Mall of America

December 4, 2016 5:03 PM

Mall of America gets its first black Santa in the person of Larry Jefferson.

Larry Jefferson

After almost a quarter-century, the shoppers who patronise the Mall of America have gotten their first black Santa.

Larry Jefferson, a retired U.S. Army veteran from Irving, Texas, has joined the roster of Santa's for the mall in Bloomington, Minnesota, for four days this week and is officially the first black Santa in the mall's history.

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Landon Luther, co-owner of the Santa Experience, who has run the photo studio at the mall for 10 years, told Minneapolis Star-Tribune, “We want Santa to be for everyone, period.”

Jefferson was only found at a Santa convention in Branson, Missouri, after a year-long search Luther began in 2015, and he was the only black Santa there.

Luther said, “It was like finding a needle in a haystack. He considers himself a Santa for all.”

Jefferson reportedly began his Santa career at the age of 12 when his father injured his back and he stepped into his father's shoes, passing out presents to his brothers and sisters.

After he returned from service in the Gulf War, Jefferson dressed up as Santa for his nephews, who were sick and unable to visit Santa at their local mall.

Jefferson went on to matriculate through a leading Santa school before going on to join the Texas’ Lone Star Santas, a nonprofit organisation with over 350 Santas, Mrs Clauses and elves who visit disaster-affected areas to donate toys to children in need.

Shanene Herbert, director of Project SPIRIT, an after-school program for black children in St. Paul public schools, told the Star-Tribune.

“Kids only see one image of Santa. Even though he’s a fictional character, he could be any colour, any race, any gender. This is an image of him too.”

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Herbert is currently working to fit a meet-and-greet between Santa Larry and her students into his busy schedule as he’s booked solid over the weekend.

In the spirit of Christmas, Jefferson has his own wish; He would love to visit President Barack Obama in the White House.