Mrs. Black Santa has asked many children what they’d like for Christmas but still remembers the little boy who answered that he wanted Santa to come to school to tell another kid to stop bullying him.
“He could have asked for anything,” she said. “That’s the comfort he felt with us.”
Mrs. Black Santa, who goes by Alicia Woodard when she’s not wearing her red dress and white wig, shared the child’s problem with his family, who didn’t know about the bullying.
Woodard and her husband, Daren Woodard, who dons a red suit as Mr. Black Santa, said they aim to provide a safe place for children to imagine, play and create. The Erie couple attends some public events as the Clauses but mainly does private events and home visits.
“We want our Black Santa to represent our culture by giving the Ma and Pa feel and the auntie and uncle vibes,” Alicia Woodard said. “Spreading inclusivity and having a similar and familiar face bring cheer is very important to us. We want our services to symbolize family and hope.”
While Erie’s Black Santa couple likes to spread the fun and love, Alicia Woodard, a mother of four and step-mother of one, isn’t above dishing out a dose of manners. She said Mr. Black Santa provides the lap to sit on. But she’s the one checking the naughty list and telling children to stand in line, tie their shoe, not touch others, cover their mouth when they cough and get their fingers out of their nose.
Mr. Black Santa wears a big white beard and a traditional red suit, with black belt and boots and white trim. Daren Woodard said he doesn’t get hot or uncomfortable in the Santa suit because he’s having too much fun.
“They love my jolliness,” he said.
His wife said he’s super silly and they like to keep things fun. Her dress comes with something extra to add to the joy.
“My Mrs. Claus has a big behind,” Alicia Woodard said. “That’s kind of her signature look.”
She said children remember it and it’s funny when she turns around and accidentally bops them with her booty, which is something adult women also love about Mrs. Black Santa.
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Increasing presence of Black Santas
In recent years, Black Santas have been appearing at Disney parks and some malls but still remain a minority among men taking on the holiday role.
A 2021 Red Suit Survey by National Santa of 376 Santas found that only two, or less than 1%, identified themselves as African American or Black compared with 288, or 75.3%, Caucasian or White. Two more indicated they were multiracial, four selected Hispanic or Latino and four chose Native American, American Indian or Alaska Native. A total of 72 didn’t respond.
Alicia Woodard, 38, and Daren Woodard, 54, both grew up in Erie and don’t remember seeing Black Santas.
The Woodards, who call their company Woodard Dynasty Entertainment, weren’t aware of any other Black Santa businesses in Erie now, although there could be individual Black Santas out there.
“It was something we felt was needed,” Alicia Woodard said.
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She said #BlackSanta was trending during the coronavirus pandemic and she thought, “Wow, the City of Erie really doesn’t have that.”
The couple officially added Black Santa to their business in 2022 after trying it out the year before.
“Seeing the children see us look like their grandma and grandpa or look like their auntie and uncle … that means a lot to me,” Alicie Woodard said. “Growing up, I didn’t see that.”
Now her family business includes Mrs. and Mr. Black Santa and The Brown Clowns, who set up their tent at various local festivals and attend private parties. The Woodards also offer “create and paint” events, similar to a “sip and paint” without the alcohol.
When children ask Daren Woodard if he’s the real Santa, he said, “I tell them, ‘Yes, I’m the real Santa because I’m here to see you right now.'”
The couple recalled a little boy whose father told him Mr. Black Santa wasn’t real. Daren Woodard said he told the dad it wasn’t up to him.
“If this boy wants to believe, let that young man experience that,” Daren Woodard said. “Who would take that from a child?”
Alicia Woodard said they want to sow a feeling of family and togetherness and even though that boy said he didn’t believe in Santa, he still enjoyed Mr. Black Santa’s company.
“The child came and played with me because he felt love,” Daren Woodard said.
More interactive Mr. and Mrs. Clause
Playing is one way these Clauses said they differ from a typical mall Santa. They go to the children rather than sitting in a big chair and waiting for children to approach.
“We hug our kids. We get down on the ground and play with these kids,” Alicia Woodard said. “It’s not just Santa standing and waving.”
“We also do crafts with them,” her husband added.
Their Hot Chocolate with Santa experience includes them bringing crafts like gingerbread men, holiday games and prizes, and peppermint-scented face paint. A Santa Secret Stop involves Mrs. and Mr. Black Santa visiting a home for about 15 minutes, giving a gift, posing for photos and picking up letters to Santa and sometimes even cookies for the big guy. They also will attend an organization’s private event and pass out presents provided by the organization.
Their rates range from $100 to $250 an hour, depending on what all is included in the package. A Santa Secret Stop is $25.
They’re not making much money, Daren Woodard said, but just want to give back to the community. Alicia Woodard, who said she came from a broken home, also wants kids to have hope and see that some marriages still exist. She also wants girls to see a powerful woman in Mrs. Black Santa. Without her, she said, Santa wouldn’t know how to parallel park the sled.
Daren Woodard said his parents taught him to “love everybody that loves you, no matter what color they are, just love them back.”
Alicia Woodard said they’re passionate people who want to give, running the business from their hearts and not their pockets.
“We love what we do,” she said.
Dana Massing can be reached at dmassing@timesnews.com.