I got to thinking this afternoon .... well, let me digress. I am 78 years old, born in 1932, so I remember some of the 30's and 40's and of course the 50's, I have lived through a lot of change. I delivered newspapers for a while to Wilbur Wright at his home in Dayton, Ohio. I have seen Charles Kettering on a number of occasions. I saw FDR, Kettering and Orville in a parade in Dayton. I went to school in South Carolina in the early 50's, I worked in the casinos in Reno in the mid 50's, so I really have seen a lot of change.
This afternoon, I had "Easy Listening Music" playing on the TV, sitting here staring at the wall, a plaque that says DOOLEY 1961, Which was given to my Mom and Dad when they moved in to their new place here, a present from one Rebecca Rhue Dooley, my brothers wife, an it hangs next to a dresser mirror which was on a bureau I had all my life, salvaged the mirror, and have it hanging on our wall. So thoughts were of today, and memories of yesteryear.
Anyway, I wondered if years ago, say the early 40's, some little colored boy asked his mother, "Why is Santa Claus White?" Why are all the basketball players and baseball players white? Why are all the dolls white? Jesus and all the angels are white, is God white too? Why do we have to ride in the back of the bus?
So many questions that a little black boy, or colored, as they were called in those days.
I wonder how Mothers answered them, or maybe they didn't ask questions, they just accepted things as they were and never asked why. well, later on, a few did. Like Rosa Parks and Dr. King, and I'm sure others did.
Blacks were not allowed in the clubs in Reno when I worked out there in the 50's. Everyone else was allowed, but no blacks. I never questioned why. And, in all the time I was out there, I don't recall one black person trying to enter. It would have been easy, all air doors, just one small step and you were in.
I would like to know how that Mother answered her child, "Why is Santa White?" Actually, come to think of it, Santa is still white in most cases, Jesus is still white, the angels I see depicted, are still white.
Why is Santa white?
