Loving the brown-skin-I'm-in Christmas
5 things must happen to make it officially feel like Christmas in my household
Over the years, Christmas has changed. Some of my loved ones, who I prioritized visiting on Christmas Eve, are no longer alive. And others are alive, well and making my Christmas “merry” every single year. Since I was 9 years old, there’s always been a dog around during the holidays too. I never thought I’d be the type to dress my dog up in a winter coat or take festive photos of her, but by my third dog, that happened to a Black Girl In a Doggone World too.
I love Christmas and all its goodies! When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was see what brown-skinned doll my mother could find on somebody’s toy shelf and wrap under a tree. I’m not saying psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark’s 1940s “The Doll Test” was incorrect; it just didn’t travel down to me being born in 1981. I was all about brown-skinned dolls and Afrocentric Christmas gifts, and this came about from a light-skinned mother who was hell bent on me loving the skin I’m in.
Recommended Read: “Is Santa black? Or does it matter? ~ If kids ask the race question about Santa, what's your response?”
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So I’m ecstatic to hear “Shark Tank” news about Madia Willis, Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron Merchant, who earned a $250K investment, with a 10% stake from millionaire businesswoman Barbara Corcoran. These black women business owners are going to use the funds to hire more employees, increase inventory and improve on the website that houses their Black Paper Party Christmas decor.
Christmas ornaments like their “24K Gold Plated Mini Icon Ornament Set” aren’t just a bunch of ornaments painted brown. Online viewers can see the facial features of black folks: eyes, nose and lips. The same goes for the “3 Pack Gift Bag Set Snow Days Off,” featuring a Mrs. Claus with curves. Up until this point, I’ve largely depended on Hallmark’s Mahogany Christmas line for Afrocentric festive gifts and decor. The more, the merrier.
Recommended Read: “Black Santa has his ear to the street ~ What does Santa do the rest of the year?”
But after the holiday shopping is done and my dog is wondering why on Earth she has a Xmas bow on her collar, five other things must happen for me to feel like it’s a Merry (Black) Christmas for me!
