New York City, New York
1878- 1949

International Santa Claus Hall of Fame – December 2019

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor, the best known black American entertainer in America during the first half of the twentieth century. His long career mirrored changes in American entertainment tastes and technology.

In 1928, the many talents of Robinson landed him in New York City and on Broadway. During the Great Depression in the mid-1930s, he saw many underprivileged and disadvantaged children in and around the city.

At Christmas, he saw the need for some “Christmas Spirit” for all children. In 1936, Robinson donned a Santa Claus Suit for the first time to entertain impoverished children in Harlem.

He was by no means the first black Santa, as the Volunteers of America had placed one on the streets of Pittsburgh years earlier. But with Robinson’s name recognition, the door opened, and soon black Santas could be found in New York City and Chicago.