We had the good fortune of connecting with Stafford Braxton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stafford, what do you attribute your success to?
The important factor behind my success is the degree that representation is held in hearts of parents in regards to their children. Parents realize the importance of their children seeing themselves in the traditions that we hold dear & having Santas that look like them is just one thread of the delicate tapestry we call life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I began Santas Just Like Me because there was an unmet need in the community for black Santas. I was working as a photographer at a mall in NC photographing white Santas & folks would keep asking if we were going to ever have a black Santa. I approached mall management & asked if this was a possibility. They said it was a good idea but they never acted on it, so I realized that if it was going to happen, I would have to be the one to make it happen.

My company was one of the 1st that brought together a number of men who portray Santas of Color in the African-American community. We started with one man & as of 2023, we have 8 gentlemen serving the minority community in CA, LA. FL, VA & NC.. Finding these brothers willing to don the red suit has been the biggest challenge. Black Santas comprise approximately 1% of Santas in the nation & finding the man with a suitable personality & natural beard has been my biggest struggle. I am constantly approaching brothers that I see with a nice beard about the opportunities available being Santa. Santas also beget Santas. They are excellent recruiters since they can share from personal experience the joys of portraying the man in red.

I’ve learned, as with any business, you have to be willing to innovate. For example, there were no Santa schools that catered to black Santas so I started one. I think there is one other Santa of color that I know that has a Santa school. We share that like Jesus, Saint Nicholas was a man of color as represented by numerous artistic portrayals.

Our brand continues to focus on providing authentic Santas that are trained to provide this service to the community.. We love what we do & understand the importance of children being able to see themselves in our traditions that have been absent for so long.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The one person that I credit my success to is my wife, Margaret Braxton! Her unwavering support is the cornerstone upon which everything that I have done is established. My #1 cheerleader!

Website: www.SantasJustLikeMe.com,
www.SchoolofBeingSanta.com,
www.SantasJustLikeMeToo.org

Instagram: @blacksantanc; @santasjustlikeme.com

Facebook: SantasJustLikeMe

Image Credits
Stafford Braxton of S Braxton Photography

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