The idea of The Black Santa Company originated from a Santa costume worn by two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis during a Halloween party.
“When I was at the party, I became the life of the party,” Davis said.
The costume was so well received that it inspired Davis to create a movie. The idea he had of having an African American character as the protagonist did not go well with movie producers.
“I got of push back from other producers about just really stereotyping black and associating black with bad,” Davis said.
He decided to create his own avenue to expose positive African American stories and figures through creating The Black Santa Company. The brand does more than sell apparel, but encourages the importance of diversity and creativity.
“Our company wants to be a company about the goodness of people, the magic of good and bringing all worlds together,” Davis said.
The Black Santa Company is also involved in the community. On Tuesday, Davis and the company collaborated with Toyota to surprise three families with Christmas presents and entire meals for the holiday.
“As far back as I can remember my grandmother always taught me the importance of giving back and helping others,” Davis said. “Teaming up with a community partner like Toyota is a no brainer. The L.A. region of Toyota cares about this community.”
The families got a chance to meet Davis and the Black Santa at The Boys & Girls Club Watts/Willowbrook where they received their dream Christmas gifts.
“Toyota and the Black Santa Company both believe in spreading hope, positivity and goodwill, and the holiday season was the perfect opportunity for the two companies to combine efforts,” said Boys & Girls Club Metro Los Angeles President/CEO Calvin Lyons
Last weekend, the company partnered with Compton Mayor Aja Brown and the city council to host the Compton Christmas Winter Wonderland. The Company also fed those in need at Venice Beach with help from the non-profit organization #HashtagLunchBag.
Another component of the Black Santa Company is creative content. Davis and his team are creating impactful characters and stories that can relate to others. The NBA star delved into African American history to assist in the creation of inspirational content.
Currently, their first character is also the logo of the brand: the Black Santa.
“Running this company, I look at it like I stumbled up on a lost treasure chest,” Davis said. “I get to be the person to bring a lot of this to life.”
Davis wants to use the company to reach out for talent, whether it is from aspiring filmmakers to athletes and celebrities. He wants children to collaborate with the brand in order to gain skills.
“A big part of our company, the mandate is about mentorship and inspiration,” Davis said. “As we become a bigger company, we want to incubate young minds and steer them in the right direction.”
The Brand sells shirts, beanies, onesies, as well as Christmas ornaments among other products. Davis and his team used the merchandise to spread positive messages. One design pays homage to the initials of Black Santa (B.S.) by stating ‘Be Spirited,’ ‘Be Sensible’ and ‘Be Successful’ along with other phrases.
“We thought, let’s start thinking of action words that can be inspiring and let’s put that on a shirt,” Davis said. “All of these B.S. acronyms were all translating back to the spirit of the brand.”
The brand provided various shirt designs so consumers can choose whether to wear the logo.
“We don’t want the company, the brand just to be about a Black Santa face,” Davis said. “We want it to be about a message.”
