Damn, The Man even keeps them down at Christmas

[SOB]

http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/news/story/1220202003_new01santa20.asp

Teen: Mall wouldn't let him play Santa

By JOHN GRANT EMEIGH Tribune Chronicle

WARREN - An 18-year-old actor wants an apology from Eastwood Mall officials after he said Friday they refused to let him portray Santa Claus because he is black.

If Brandon Martin can't get an apology, he said he has an attorney who plans to take legal action against the store for its alleged discriminatory policy.
However, an official with the Niles shopping mall said Friday the store doesn't have a policy that prevents black people from portraying Santa Claus.

Martin, of Youngstown, said during a news conference at the office of his attorney, Gilbert Rucker III, that he was ''upset'' when he learned he was turned down to play the part of Santa because of his skin color.

Martin was participating in a skit at the mall on Nov. 15 with other volunteer actors with the Youngstown Playhouse that involved the arrival of Santa at the shopping outlet. The person slated to play Santa in the skit - who is white - didn't show up, so Martin volunteered to play the part.

As the skit was getting ready, another white actor replaced Martin to play the role of Father Christmas. Martin said he didn't suspect anything wrong at the time until he later heard the mall had a policy against black Santas.

Mall Manager Ken Kollar said Cafaro Co.., which owns this and several other malls in the region, doesn't have such a policy.

Kollar said that the decision to not let Martin play Santa was a ''continuity'' issue and not a race issue. Event organizers wanted the Santa that participated in the skit to look like the Santa that would be taking pictures with the children that day. Kollar explained the actor playing Santa in the skit done by the Youngstown Playhouse was not the same person portraying the Santa in the photo part of the event.

A private company was handling the photographs and it hired its own Santa - who was being played by a white person. The volunteer Santa in the skit was to appear at the mall's Gazebo and wave at the children before disappearing into a set. The other Santa who worked for the photography company would emerge shortly afterward to spend the day taking photos with children.

''How can we have a black Santa appear on the Gazebo and then, 10 seconds later, have a white Santa come out and take pictures,'' Kollar said.

Event organizers didn't want to upset children by having two separate Santas, he said.

''It had to be black-black or white-white (Santas); it couldn't be a combination,'' Kollar said.

Martin's mother, Monica Beasley-Martin, said the mall's continuity excuse was weak and she didn't believe children would be upset by the different Santas. She said many of the stores in the mall display varying images of Santa Claus.

''Children see Whoopi Goldberg dressed as Santa on national television and are not upset by that,'' she said.

Rucker expressed surprise that blacks still encounter ''petty prejudices'' in an age where there are black astronauts and doctors in this country.

''But we can't have a mythical character played by a black,'' Rucker said.

In addition to an apology, Martin said he wants the mall to change any policy it may have about not allowing blacks to play Santa. Though Kollar couldn't recall if there ever was a black person portraying Santa at the Eastwood Mall, he said there is a black Santa at Cafaro's Frenchtown Mall in Michigan.

Rucker said he hasn't filed a civil suit against the mall as of Friday, but threatened to take legal action if it doesn't address this issue.

Beasley-Martin, who is a minister in Youngstown, said she met with Kollar at the mall to talk about the matter, but he refused to address it.

Kollar said he maintains the mall made the right decision.

jemeigh@tribune-chronicle.com

If they weren't a bunch of racists, they'd hire one santa for each race, and then let the children and parents decide which race of santa they'd like to have their picture taken with.  Come to think of it, they should have a woman and a handicapped santa too.  Oh crap, I meant "otherwise-abled", not handicapped.  I'm going to go wash my mouth out with soap now.

[FUNKED1]

Ain't no ******* on the North Pole.
*Spits*
What they need down thar is some Klan!!!

[Nakhui]

Originally posted by SOB
http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/news/story/1220202003_new01santa20.asp

If they weren't a bunch of racists, they'd hire one santa for each race, and then let the children and parents decide which race of santa they'd like to have their picture taken with.  Come to think of it, they should have a woman and a handicapped santa too.  Oh crap, I meant "otherwise-abled", not handicapped.  I'm going to go wash my mouth out with soap now.

I can kind of see the Mall people's point, after all if someone wanted to play Jesus, they'd have to be white, blue-eyed (or did Jesus have Gray eyes? - who's got a picture of Jesus? Please psot!)  thin, bearded, and light brown hair.

After all Jesus was Aramaic and middle eastern.... even though he looks like a Scandavian European in all his photographs.

[psst... I'm being sarcastic - for all you dim witted folks!]

Seriously though... Santa is white and Elves are green - and Rudolph really does have a shinny red nose!

Everyone knows that! Sheesh!

[Gunslinger]

This is no different than all the stories you hear about people being "offended" by all the "Christmas Stuff" on display everywere.


ITS CHRISTMAS LIGHTEN THE **** UP

Go pull your race card at some airport or somthing

[Lizking]

I would say that having both a black and a white Santa, and letting the parents decide is just about as racist as you can get.

[senna]

Santa is not even real, hes a made up fictional character to amuse children into being good all year which is impossible for children to do. If you ever see a man in red on your roof or climbinbg down your chimney, you are just being robbed.

[Raubvogel]

Couldn't they let him portray like Kwanzaa Claus or something like that? This is really an outrage.

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
ITS CHRISTMAS LIGHTEN THE **** UP

Said in the true spirit of ****ing Christmas...

[Sandman]

Just say no to Christmas...


Jesus was born in October (or possibly April)... when was the Roman census?

[Swager]

Santa isn't real?

Huh?

[Mini D]

Everyone knows that Santa Claus is white and Quanza Pete is black.

MiniD

[SOB]

And lets not forget Hanukkah Harry!

http://www.leenite.org/jonisland/hharry/hhsong.wav

[JB73]

Originally posted by Raubvogel
...Kwanzaa Claus...

ROFLMAO

a new classic is born!

Yo Yo Yo! kwanzaa clause in tha hizzaouse.
Yo ***** what's up with this milk and cookies bull****...

fizzatch me some of dat gin -and- juice on tha quick tip!

fa all you little playazzza an ho's i gots ya'll somin real fly.

mac daddy pimp hats perfect for all youz tryin ta git in tha game, an some fresh gucci wear for them ladiez out der!

[mrblack]

Originally posted by FUNKED1
Ain't no ******* on the North Pole.
*Spits*
What they need down thar is some Klan!!!

Got to call you on this one dude.
Call the Klan?
Do you know the Klan hates catholics and Jews as well?
And Me being a Jew Are you gonna send em my way.
Come on man don't be so silly.

And I see no problem with a Black Santa.
Fer crying out loud the little black kids need someone to relate to don't they?

As far as suing the mall well we live in a law suite world don't we.

[FUNKED1]

Mrblack I'm imitating one of those tards from that white supremacy website.