‘Santa Brown,’ Greenbriar Mall’s new Black Santa, is ready for his closeup
Rodney Brown Sr. loves his job.
Being a father of five and grandfather of eight is one of the reasons he said he’s able to play the role of Santa Claus, or in his case, “Santa Brown,” so effortlessly.
“I’ve always been a natural with kids,” he said, explaining his reasons for actually enjoying coming to work during the holiday season, on an early afternoon shift in December at his storefront in Greenbriar Mall.
Inside looks like Santa’s workshop, surrounded by giant gift-wrapped boxes, poinsettias and decorated Christmas trees. Santa Brown sits several days per week, with a jolly smile accentuated by a silver beard and pearly white teeth. From his chair he waves at shoppers, takes appointments booked online and welcomes walk-ins looking to have photos taken with a Black Santa Claus, which has been an annual tradition at the mall for decades.
Wanda Sharp Norris has been bringing her younger adult sister Leeanna Sharp, who grew up with special needs, to see Greenbriar’s Black Santa for more than 15 years. She and Leeanna have seen several iterations of the character, and visited Santa Brown on Dec. 10.
“She looks forward to me bringing her every year,” Wanda said of Leeanna, “for her to tell Santa all she wants for Christmas. And she’ll say she wants everything. She’s so excited to be able to go every year.”
Brown genuinely seems to love hearing the wishes of families who come to Greenbriar to capture photographic memories with him.
“I’m starting to realize — now it’s starting to hit me — that I’m going to be part of these families for the rest of their lives. You know, they’re going to have a picture of me with their kids or grandkids, or great-grandkids. So I will be involved in some of these families for generations, just by my picture. Bringing that holiday joy, being a representation of a Santa that looks like them, I think, helps their spirits.”
This is Santa Brown’s inaugural year as Greenbriar’s Black Santa. He made his debut November 20, with a marching band escort into his workshop studio after riding on the back of a blue convertible in the shopping mall’s annual parade. But his journey as the patron saint of the Christian holiday gift-giving season didn’t begin in 2025.
Brown started playing Santa six years ago in a private studio in Conyers. He’s also taken his Santa act to California, serving for two years at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza shopping center in Los Angeles.
He was originally encouraged to play Santa by his daughter, Brianna Olaniyan, before she married. “She started thinking about when she was going to have kids, and was like, ‘Dad, I want you to be Santa.’ I was like ‘No, you know, I don’t want to be Santa. I’ll just be ‘Pop-Pop.’”
Brown surrendered after his sister bought him a Santa suit, which he wore for another set of grandchildren.
His sister later introduced him to Dion Sinclair, a.k.a. “The Real Black Santa,” at a house party. Sinclair steered him further in the direction of playing the recurring role of Black Saint Nick, and agreed that Brown was a perfect candidate.
“He’s very personal, he’s very jovial,” Sinclair said of Brown. “I think that’s the key for him. People like his energy. He’s got a great personality. And his beard is coming along great.”
Sinclair, 61, has played Santa Claus for 24 years in Atlanta at places like South DeKalb Mall. He leads two organizations for Santa actors in and outside Georgia. One is Santas4U, which allows venues like Greenbriar Mall to book Santas for the holidays, and which represents Santa Brown.
The other is Santas of Color Coalition, a professional development organization that includes a diverse array of more than 300 Santa actors from across the country looking to network, learn skills and gain insights related to the trade. “Learn from the guys who are doing it and have been around,” he tells men who might be interested in playing Santa.
“Don’t just walk on the Santa set and say you’re gonna do the same thing this guy’s been doing. Get the information and do it right so people don’t see this as another fly-by-night.”
In August SOCC held its first convention in Kentucky, where Brown, Sinclair and other seasonal Santas gathered to discuss the business. Sinclair said they shared details like where to purchase Santa outfits, how to use AI in marketing, and having insurance policies, not only to cover their equipment but also to protect themselves against legal issues that might arise.
“It’s just as dangerous as being a doctor,” Sinclair said of the Santa Claus industry, adding that fashion isn’t the only reason most Santas wear white gloves.
“If a Santa has been trained right, you’ll see his hand in every shot. Most Santas will not try to pick a child up. They’ll let the parent or the assistant. You don’t want anyone saying you touched their child inappropriately. That’s the world we’re living in.”
Being Santa is lucrative, Brown said. While visits are free, photo packages start at $37 online. He also does private photo sessions for families and their pets through his website.
There are also grownup fans — some who don’t mind letting Santa Brown know they’re interested in a little “Santa Baby” holiday rendezvous. When asked if he’s ever been propositioned by potential Mrs. Santa Clauses he answered in the affirmative.
“Uh, it does happen and I’m very careful about that,” Brown said after a gentle laugh. “I just reassure them that there is a Mrs. Claus at home and I only can be hired for pictures and, you know, to bring holiday joy and nothing else.”
He said he also sometimes gets single women asking him to bring them a romantic partner for Christmas.
“My answer is like, you’ve got to be real good for that to happen. And you’ve got to write down some specifics of what you want because I can drop a man off but it might not be what you want.”
Shelly Baker Hillian, Greenbriar’s marketing director, has been at the mall for 23 years. She’s hired several Black Santas, including Santa Brown, and said it’s important to Greenbriar’s customer base to have a Black Santa, noting that while it’s common in Atlanta they are not seen as frequently in other cities. She said she’s had visitors from as far away as Canada to visit Greenbriar to meet their version.
“It is a tradition for our culture to find an African American Santa that looks like us,” she said. “You couldn’t bring another Santa here. You know how some of the malls, once a month or once out of the year, may have a Black Santa? We can’t even transition because it would be a whole problem. Believe me.”
Sinclair said part of the reason he launched his two organizations is because he wants to see more Black Santas around the country and prefers not to travel beyond Georgia these days. In recent weeks he’s played The Real Black Santa in Warner Robins, Macon and Selma. He is also actively recruiting other Santas of color, including those of Latin and Asian descent.
Sinclair said he also insists on hiring Santas who recognize the religious meaning of Christmas. “You can’t spell Christmas without Christ. This is about service. If you’re not doing this as a servant, you’re in the wrong business.”
Santa also isn’t Brown’s only gig. He occasionally works as a substitute teacher in Gwinnett County, and has experience in pharmaceutical and technical sales. He’s also a pastor at the nondenominational Hope Experience Church in Lawrenceville, and brings his ministry to his Christmas character.
“I’ve met a lot of interesting people that are going through certain things. If somebody needs prayer. I ask them if it’s okay if I pray with them or keep them in prayer. I send video message to loved ones who might be going through something. It’s just a great opportunity to bring joy in this world we’re in right now.”
It’s that sort of giving philosophy, Sinclair said, that makes Santa Brown great.
“The suit don’t make the Santa,” he said. “It’s what you have in your heart.”
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About the Author
Mike Jordan is senior editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Black culture brand, UATL. A longtime culture journalist, his work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, National Geographic, Rolling Stone and others. Jordan won the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award and was a 2023 finalist.
