The Black Santa

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The Black Santa was written by Allison Joseph. She is an American poet, editor, and educator known for writing about identity, race, and social justice.

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The central theme is race and representation. The poem shows how a Black Santa challenges the usual white image of Santa Claus and affirms that a Santa figure can look like the speaker.

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It is autobiographical because it draws from Allison Joseph’s own childhood experience. The speaker recalls a real memory from when she was five years old.

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The speaker is the autobiographical five-year-old girl who narrates the poem in first person. She remembers sitting on a Black Santa’s lap in a department store and later reflects on that memory as an…

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The setting is a department store during the festive Christmas season. This setting is important because department store Santa figures are part of a familiar retail Christmas tradition.

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The speaker describes him as thin, shaky, and frail, with a fake beard slumping off his face and breath reeking sweetly of alcohol. This shows a realistic and unusual Santa figure, very different from…

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It suggests the traditional image of Santa that society expects: a cheerful, plump, white Santa Claus. The poem challenges this narrow idea and shows that Santa should not be limited to one race or ap…

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The speaker wanted a child’s oven, a mini record player, and an Etch-a-Sketch. These wishes show a child’s excitement and the influence of consumer advertising.