On November 24, 2020, Chris Kennedy received a racist letter regarding his 7-foot Black inflatable Santa Claus in front of his home in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

Although Kennedy lived in this neighborhood for three years, this year he got a letter about his Black Santa Claus inflatable that read, “Please remove your negro Santa Claus yard decoration. You should not try to deceive children into believing that I am negro. I am a caucasian (white man, to you) and have been for the past 600 years. Your being jealous of my race is no excuse for your dishonesty. Besides that, you are making yourself the laughing stock of the neighborhood. Obviously, your values are not that of the Lakewood area and maybe you should move to a neighborhood out east with the rest of your racist kind. Yours truly, Santa Claus,” attached to the letter was a picture of a White Santa Claus with two thumbs down. 

While reading this during Facebook live Kennedy responded, “I am trying to be as nice as I can in this very moment because I am actually filled with rage.” 

On the envelope, there was a logo similar to the Lakewood Property Owners Association. However, the executive director of the LPOA, Evan Blake, told CNN that they had no relation to the letter. Blake said he visited Kennedy’s family and gave them a free membership to the LPOA as a kind indication to show that Kennedy was a part of the North Little Rock Community.

Blake said, “We don't want the people that wrote that letter in the neighborhood. That's what we don't want.” Kennedy also spoke out by saying, “If I'm a laughing stock by trying to provide joy to other families' children down the street going to school by having out a Santa Claus and decorating for Christmas, so be it.”     

Since this incident, many people from Kennedy’s neighborhood were showing their support to Kennedy by complimenting his Black Santa and getting a Black Santa inflatable of their own.