A fight for holiday equality: How Black Santas shaped US civil rights

During a brief meeting at Shillito’s department store in Cincinnati in December 1969, Reverend Otis Moss Jr, a civil rights leader, advocated for the hiring of Black workers, including a Black Santa Claus, as part of efforts to promote workplace equity. Moss, head of the local Southern Christian Leadership Conference chapter, met with store officials to discuss 12 demands for equal opportunity, with the Black Santa Claus proposal garnering significant attention. The meeting, aimed at addressing racial disparities in employment, highlighted the ongoing push for civil rights in America during that era.

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