"Santa Claus Is a Black Man" is a

Christmas song Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...

by record producer and songwriter Teddy Vann, performed by his daughter Akim Vann (billed as Akim) and his Teddy Vann Production Company for a 1973 single. The song, described as "Vann's take on ' I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'", has been called a

cult classic A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

, and continues to receive Christmas airplay. The elder Vann wrote the song as a Christmas gift for Akim, then five years old, who performs vocals on the recording. A

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

song, the lyrics describe Akim happening upon her mother and

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

dancing, noting Santa's curious resemblance to her father. The elder Vann was active in mentoring children, and intended the song to provide positive imagery and empowerment for young African-Americans; the song also makes reference to the

Kwanzaa Kwanzaa () is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called '' Karamu'', usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest ...

holiday, which the elder Vann was active in promoting in his native

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. Vann would later become better known for co-writing "

Power of Love/Love Power "Power of Love/Love Power" is a single by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released on April 9, 1991 as the lead single from his 1991 album of the same name. The hit song spent two weeks at number one on the US R&B chart, and ...

" with

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

in 1991, for which he won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

. Film director

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

included the song on his 2004 Christmas music collection, '' A John Waters Christmas'', despite the wishes of the elder Vann, who rejected Waters's request because the auteur "is not considered mainstream". Vann filed suit against Waters for using the song without permission.

References

{{reflist Songs about Santa Claus Songs about black people 1973 singles 1973 songs American Christmas songs Songs against racism and xenophobia