Santa

When the original Santa for the majority-Black Seventh Ward died a new one stepped into his boots, inspired by his memory.

Murphy remembers marveling even as a youngster that some of the children waiting to get their portraits taken with Chocolate Santa had come from out of state. “My dad loved the holidays and bringing this aspect of joy to children,” she said. And while her youngest daughter, Leah, nine, had just gotten photos with Santa at her Catholic school, that Santa was white. For Parker, what some feared was the beginning of the end arrived in 2019, after his physical health took a downturn, and he canceled all of his holiday engagements that year. Murphy diplomatically contacted Parker and asked for his blessing to fill his VIP boots. He improved his look by growing a beard and mustache that he highlighted with white Crayola paint. All Murphy really wore for his first Santa outing in 2016 was the standard red suit. The luckier of those who grieved him could preserve memories by displaying the Christmas portraits they had taken with him. Murphy, 33, was among the generations of children taken by their parents to Dennis Photofinish studio at the corner of St Bernard Avenue and North Tonti Street in “It was kind of a magical thing. To see – you know – an older Black guy with a real Santa-like, Santa-esque quality, that was just a beautiful thing.” But when the holidays rolled around, Parker transformed into Chocolate – or Seventh Ward – Santa, complete with the traditional red suit and hat.