Once at Xmas I saw a black Santa statue in CVS and it had me thinking

I think for many people santa clause is the embodiment of cheer and goodwill towards men. That's a concept that is not rooted in a particular race. Though the character may come from a specific region the concept has resonated with and transcended that these days. It's natural for people to see goodness and want it reflected to them in a way that makes them feel represented. Black people specifically have been the target of many negative stereotypes. It makes sense that black people would want to see themselves with positive representation.

It's cringe, but I guess Santa is a tradition that was adopted by so many black families, it would be kinda impossible to keep the character only white. There are so many malls that have a mall Santa, some of them in all black neighborhoods where the actor is going to be black. Then maybe a dad wants to dress as Santa for his kids. It's one of the few race-swaps that is understandable.