CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A local activist is working to make Christmas a little more inclusive by bringing Black Santa to downtown Clarksville.
Asia Long has worked with several organizations in the Clarksville area, with her latest endeavor being the Black Santa events. These events were made to raise awareness that representation matters.
“Lately, we’ve gotten great feedback from all races. In the end, we just want to spread holiday cheer for everyone,” said Long, who has done work with Clarksville Black Lives Matter.
Black Santa made his debut at the DBO Gallery. According to Long, there have been over 700 pictures of kids and adults alike with Black Santa thus far.
“I literally woke up one night and decided Clarksville deserves a Black Santa,” Long said. “We all did this with a pure heart and great intentions.”
Black Santa also pays house visits with video calls and chats via Zoom. Click here to set up a meeting or for more information.
“We’ve had a lot of fun with this,” said one of the Black Santa volunteers, Shedrich Webster. “We’ve done video chats all over the world, we even video-chatted with a family in Germany.”
This weekend, you can get your picture with Black Santa during the Holiday Market at Downtown Commons on Saturday, Dec. 12 from noon to 2 p.m.