There is a new app for parents looking to take their kids to visit a Black Santa—and it was created by a Black woman.
Jihan Woods developed the app after struggling for years to find a Santa Claus for her twin sons near her home in Texas.
So Woods launched a Kickstarter campaign last year to fund her black Santas locator app. After raising $5,000 in 30 days, the Dallas psychiatrist developed “Find Black Santa,” an app that lists Santas in 35 states and Washington, D.C.
“I really wanted my children to see a Santa Claus that looks like them. It’s important to me that they experience diversity in all aspects of their lives, Santa included,” Woods, a psychiatrist, states on the website devoted to the free app.
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BLACK FRIDAY SALE Hey, y’all! It’s your fav, Jihan.
I’m so excited about the holidays! When I came up with the idea for Find Black Santa I had no idea what I was doing. I had a notebook full of sketches and ideas and a passion to find my kids a Black Santa. I’m a doctor by trade, so technology was definitely out of my comfort zone. But hey, I researched day in and day out for months and then took a leap! I successfully met my fundraising goal on Kickstarter and launched the app in 2018. The app had some annoying glitches, but I took it in stride and continue to perfect it. I LOVE the app and appreciate the journey so much more. P.S. Merchandise is available in my Etsy shop – including the green hoodie I have on. Cute, right?!
Use code JOLLY15 at checkout until Friday, 11/29 at midnight EST.
A post shared by Find Black Santa Mobile App (@findblksanta) on Nov 27, 2019 at 10:43am PST
According to CBS News, studies show that children with a positive attitude about their own racial identity do better in school and are less likely to engage in risky behavior. Experiencing a Black Santa is an important aspect of that.
“Specifically for black children, it’s really important in racial and ethnic development that children see figures — whether it’s in the media, a mystical figure, like, Santa — because it’s really helpful for their development,” Woods told WBAL.
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I started @findblksanta because I wanted my children to experience a Black Santa. In my household, representation matters starting with the books they read, music they listen to and school they attend. It helps with self esteem, learning and much more! . . What do you do in your household so that your children see themselves? I wanna know!
. . P.S. Find Black Santa apparel is available in my Etsy shop! . . Link in bio.
. #blackgirlsdoc
A post shared by Jihan Woods, MD (@blackgirlsdoc) on Nov 19, 2019 at 3:50am PST
This is why Black parents drive up to an hour to the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, to see a black Santa, executive director Terri Lipsey Scott told CBS News.
“The turnout is incredible,” Scott told CBS. “There are so few options as it relates to the availability of having an African-American Santa.”
The post New App Allows Parents To Find A Black Santa Near Them appeared first on Essence.
