Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? On episode 24, of My American Meltingpot, we’re talking all about Christmas. More specifically, we’re going to be interrogating the idea that Christmas is for white people! Now, I’m not white and I’ve been celebrating Christmas with my very Black family for more than 40 years, so clearly Christmas isn’t by definition a White People’s holiday, but there are plenty of people of color in America who do not deck the halls or jingle any bells on December 25th. On this episode we try to get to the bottom of why some people of color don’t feel like Christmas is their holiday, even if they are Christians. We also explore the immigrant experience with Christmas, the actual multicultural origins of Christmas, and some ethnic alternatives to a “white” Christmas.
Joining me for this racial rehash of Christmas is Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. Dr. Hill is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. He is the author of several books, including Nobody; Gentrifier; and Beats, Rhymes and Classroom Life. A public intellectual and an award-winning journalist, Dr. Hill has received numerous prestigious awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, GLAAD, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Most recently Dr. Hill opened a bookstore and a community based education center in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
This episode will have you rethinking the reason for the season in a totally Meltingpot way! And you may never sing about longing for a white Christmas without pause.
Resources from the Show
To learn more about Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and his upcoming projects and works, please visit his website at Marc Lamont Hill.com.
And just because I love an independent bookstore, check out Marc’s latest venture, Uncle Bobbie’s bookstore in Philadelphia.
For more information about the Three Wise Men vs Santa Claus and the Christmas story, check out a former post I wrote on the subject.
To gain more clarity about Kwanza, check out this brief but informative article from History.com.
A 2016 article from The Guardian that explains why representation matters in the fight against white Christmas propaganda.
Thank You, Meltingpot Community
Whatever and however you choose to celebrate during these final days of 2019, I hope you enjoy yourself doing so. May your days be merry and bright and may all your celebrating be…not so white!
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you’ll know exactly when our next episode drops. Keep in mind we will be going on a brief hiatus until early 2020. Between now and then, if you have any suggestions for upcoming show ideas for the podcast, send me a message at Lori@myamericanmeltingpot.com.
And remember, you can listen to the My American Meltingpot podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and everywhere else podcasts live. If you haven’t yet left us a rating or review, please consider doing that. You can think of it as a Christmas gift from you to me. It’s exactly what I wanted!
(photo credit: by lascot studio from Pexels)
