A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories

by Bettye Collier-Thomas

A collection of Christmas stories written by African-American journalists, activists, and writers from the late 19th century to the modern civil rights movement.

Back in print for the first time in over a decade, this landmark collection features writings from well-known black writers, activists, and visionaries such as Pauline Hopkins, Langston Hughes, and John Henrik Clarke along with literary gems from rediscovered writers. Originally published in African American newspapers, periodicals, and journals between 1880 and 1953, these enchanting Christmas tales are part of the black literary tradition that flourished after the Civil War.

Edited and assembled by esteemed historian Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas, the short stories and poems in this collection reflect the Christmas experiences of everyday African Americans and explore familial and romantic love, faith, and more serious topics such as racism, violence, poverty, and racial identity. Featuring the best stories and poems from previous editions along with new material including “The Sermon in the Cradle” by W. E. B. Du Bois, A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories celebrates a rich storytelling tradition and will be cherished by readers for years to come.

Genres: Christmas, Short Stories, Fiction, Holiday, African American, Classics, Historical Fiction

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1997

Reviews

[Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each year before the holidays I go on a search for eclectic holiday stories that will delight and surprise me. This year I was fortunate to receive Bettye Collier Thomas' book, A Treasury fo African American Christmas Stories.

This is a compilation of the best stories from Thomas's previous two books by the same name, Vol.1 and 2. What I discovered as I was really, simply was amazing! These are stories written by African American authors and activists that reflect their life and times. Some of the authors are unknown to most, others - like Langston Hughes - will be familiar to many. A few of the stories are retellings of familiar holiday tales but with an African American theme rather than the anglicized, white-washed version that many of us have heard or read. However, what I found most interesting were those stories that combined the holiday theme with those of anti-slavery or civil rights messages. These stories were fascinating. In fact, the traditional religious nativity story is one of oppression, deliverance and hope. Who better than African Americans, the most oppressed people in America's history, to tell and embrace this story?

Reading all of the stories in this collection was interesting, educational but, most of all, insightful to the hope that we all must embrace, especially during the holiday season.

If you only read one holiday book this year, I highly recommend that be this one.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Bettye Collier Thomas for my copy of this wonderful collection.

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely interesting and enlightening look at African American life from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Many of the stories are only loosely related to Christmas. These aren't cozy stories for the most part, though they usually they have uplifting endings. However, they deal with difficult subject matter given that conditions for African Americans were even worse then than they are now. It was definitely worth reading for me, especially given my interest in history.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short stories and poems from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished: 07.12.2020
Genre: Short stories
Rating: A+++++++++++
#ALiteraryChristmas
Conclusion:
The brevity of these stories is admirable
... the language heartwarming.
Xmas tales that linger, leaving their own ghosts
...but with important lessons for the
kindness and spirit of Christmas...
that we should celebrate all year long!
This is a gem! (available on Kindle)

My Thoughts

[Nadine Keels · Rating 5 out of 5]

(The rating I chose is for the short story "A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church" by Margaret Black, first published in 1916. Above is fan art I made for the story, not an official book cover.)

I found A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories while I was searching for (you guessed it!) Christmas stories written by and featuring Black Americans. Stories in a genre(s) other than contemporary romance, as holiday-themed contemporary romance is already easy for me to find.

While this goes without saying for some readers, it doesn't for others, so I'll say it anyway: The fact that literary works like the ones in this treasury are written by and about Black people doesn't mean that only Black people should read them.

All righty, now.

Some of these vintage works are rather heartwarming. And in a social sense, the collection serves as a reminder that Black Americans have historically been present in multiple classes, including the Black elite and upper middle classes.

Granted, not all of these stories are strictly "joy to the world" themed. While they all share Christmastime in common, several of the writers' works are somber or even tragic, reflecting the injustices and dangers Black Americans have faced. Even so, the collection also reflects much more, not only in regard to multiple classes but also in the stories' themes of romantic love; marriage, children, and family relationships; giving and receiving gifts; prayer and faith; and engaging in community.

My favorite story in the collection is "A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church." While it isn't a romance, romantic prospects and gossip and whatnot play into the plot.



It's a humorous holiday tale that actually had me laughing out loud. Like, "Huh. So, this story was written more than a century ago? Goodness. Church folk stay bein' church folk. Down through the generations, no less."

Not that enough in the story wouldn't easily apply to communities in general, not just to church folk. But still.

I've indeed found a treasure, here.

[Aaron Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories is a collection of Christmas-themed short stories penned by several African-American poets, journalists, and writers of the late 19th century. These stories present the reader with the usual underpinnings of Christmas tales, but through the perspective of African-American life post-Reconstruction. These stories vary in message and quality, but for the most part, getting through the collection is a wholesome way to spend the lead-up to Christmas. 

The first half of the collection generally focuses on stories about young children learning about the "true spirit of Christmas." Before long, however, the repetitive nature of these stories definitely led to burnout from the collection (How many ways can a young Fanny May/Jim Bob/Minnie wake up to find presents under the tree when impoverished circumstances shouldn't allow?) However, the second half of the collection is where the quality peaks. In particular, Three Men and a Woman , The Devil Spends Christmas Eve in Dixie and White Christmas have a unique charm to them that really gets you in the mood to keep reading. The second half explores a wider variety of themes, including interracial relationships, the moral and intellectual hypocrisy of bigotry, and the universal desire for love, happiness, and belonging.

One must certainly give credit to Bettye Collier-Thomas for the effort  put into collecting these stories. Before each short story is a brief biography of the author, and their position within the post-Reconstruction landscape. From well-known figures such as Langston Hughes and W.E.B. Du Bois to lesser-known writers such as Augustus Hodges and Andrew Dobson, a fair amount of research has clearly been done in every instance, and keeping this context in mind truly helps to weave a tapestry that shows how life was for African Americans during that time period.

It is important to note that the overall ranking does not reflect the highest or lowest points of the collection or Thomas's effort in amassing this compendium, but as the average quality of the collection as a whole. Most of the short stories in the second half are a must-read and average around 4 stars, while those of the first half are pretty skippable (General Washington: A Christmas Story being the exception). In any case, this collection is one I would recommend, and definitely helped me to settle into the Christmas Spirit.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best anthologies I’ve read as the stories/poems were pretty consistent in quality, depth, and overall enjoyment.
The introductions before each story were really helpful in placing the story in each time’s culture and the general feeling of public sentiments about race and Christmas. It also provided insight to the goal of the author and what what messages they aimed to convey, many of which I may have missed. My only complaint is that sometimes the introduction over-explained the basic plot or characters of the story which felt unnecessary or didn’t add to my experience.
Overall, the stories were often thought-provoking, many were sad and about all were very interesting. It was a great read around Christmas and helped me reflect on how part of the reason I get to and have always loved Christmas so much is due to the nature of the family I was raised in and the privileges I was born with and that they’ve given me.
I would also like to note that my friend and I scoured the internet for diverse holiday reads and it was incredibly hard to find any that were not picture books. The fact that these stories were so insightful and special only highlights that the fact that holiday books are singularly saturated by white Christian voices is a tragedy.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to rereading it another year.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What it says on the tin plus poetry. From the late 19th through mid 20th centuries. I really liked the stories and poems and I also appreciated the biographical material about every author. People who write when the establishment doesn't want them to tend to lead interesting lives.

And, of course, I'd probably be more familiar with some of these authors than I am if it weren't for the whole centuries of racism thing. Working to learn more about a lot of stuff. (But this volume wasn't work, it was lots of compelling, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes painfully realistic, sometimes delightfully sentimental Christmas stories.)

CN: racial violence of many kinds including lynching, suicide, slurs, probably many other things I've glossed over. Wasn't kidding about the realism. Really recommend reading the intro material if you want a more detailed idea of each story before reading.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories are more enjoyable than others (as is standard for any anthology) but they were neat to listen to at Christmastime.

[Elsa Mathews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m rather hard to please when it comes to short stories, and Christmas short stories seem to be especially hard to pull of without seeming predictable or cynical. Most of the stories were ok (very typical Victorian/Edwardian era Sunday School short stories that are sweet but not masterful); some were very well written and handled issues of racism and the values of African Americans during that era in a sobering and thought provoking manner; one I downright hated: A Christmas Journey by Louis Lorenzo Redding. This story used derogatory descriptions/terminology for Asian and Jewish people, seemed to condone self violence and had an overall feeling of cynicism towards religious beliefs.

My favorite story was White Christmas by Valena Minor Williams. This story focused on a 10 year old colored boy’s growing frustration as he came to the awareness of the difference in how white people and black people are treated. One point that I was particularly struck by was how he was upset by how Santa Clauses were always white; he felt that if Santa couldn’t even be black, how could black people become President, or police chiefs, or four star generals? There is a turn of events at the end of this story that left me in hopeful, happy tears.

I thought the literary caliber of the poems that were included in this collection were higher than most the short stories.

It was very interesting reading the brief biographies of the African Americans who wrote the stories during the latter half of the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century; I just wish there had been a clear division between the author biography and the synopsis of the story in the brief introduction before each story because I liked having the context of the author’s life in my mind when reading each story without having to run into spoilers. Sometimes the synopsis was just as long as the short story! Overall, I am glad I took the time to read this collection of stories, because it gave me an awareness of a lot of African American writers I had never heard of before.

[Cynthia Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories and narrative poems written by black writers and political activists. The writing in this book forms part of the black literary tradition that flourished after the Civil War in America. This was literature as a form of political and social activism and it brings out the subjugation of black people in America.

I am mostly unfamiliar with the history of African-Americans in the US. Apart from a brief acquaintance that has emerged from the reading of books set in the American South, I know almost nothing of the struggles that black people have faced.

Each of the 4 poems and 18 stories is preceded by a detailed bio of the authors, the greats of black literature. The editor takes the trouble to give us the context and the history, helping us to appreciate the story better.

The Sermon in the Cradle by WEB DuBois sets the story of the Nativity in Benin in Nigeria, rooting the greatest story set in Bethlehem in Nazareth in another place and time. One in which the Baby Jesus continues to be sought by the powerful who seek to do Him harm.

A Carol of Color by Mary Jenness reminds us about how white Western culture has appropriated Jesus for itself, making Him white-skinned and blue-eyed in their own image. It was the imagery I grew up with too. To this day, the majority of churches in India continue to display Western iconography. This poem, though short, was apt.

The Christmas Reunion Down at Martinsville by Augustus M Hodges is a long, narrative poem, set in Kentucky around 1893. The poem introduces us to three generations of a family as they gather for Christmas. We come to know of the joys, struggles and history of Uncle Joe and Aunt Sallie Moore. Their story is emblematic of what African-Americans lived through as slaves, and after being given their freedom. We get a clear picture of the cruelties of the plantation owners and the patrollers they hired to control their slaves.

The Children’s Christmas by Alice Moore Dunbar lets us see Christmas through the eyes of give children who have never known the joys of Christmas. There is Julia, the daughter of an alcoholic, single mother, to whom Santa brings ‘another beatin’. Matilda, Jewish, growing up in an orphanage, knows nothing about Christmas but longs for a doll from Santa. Florence, who doesn’t have warm clothes, thinks Christmas means cold weather. Frank, nursemaid to his baby brother, longs for a toy at Christmas. Hattie is blind and sees nothing of the splendour of Christmas décor.

Christmas Eve Story by Fanny Jackson Coppin is a feel-good story. Two orphans, Maggie and Johnny, from a dirty hovel are adopted by a kind stranger after the death of their mother.

Mollie’s Best Christmas Gift by Mary E Lee shows us what Christmas was for middle-class black children. This story puts Christ back into Christmas at a time when feasting and gift giving had become popular.

A Christmas Story by Carrie Jane Thomas is about little Minnie, who plans to stay up to meet Santa and ends up dreaming about him.

Fanny May’s Christmas by Katherine Davis Tillman introduces us to Fanny May, whose mother is ill. Her father’s salary is low, and it doesn’t look like she will get a gift for Christmas. But of course, her parents and friends pitch in to give her an unforgettable Christmas.

Elsie’s Christmas by Salem Tutt Whitney is another heart warming story about little Elsie, who wants a doll with a pretty brown face, for Christmas. This was a time of reinforcement of racial pride.

General Washington – A Christmas Story by Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins was a story with a big heart. My heart went out to 10-year-old Buster aka General Washington. I particularly loved the tongue-in-cheek, indulgent tone of the narrator.

The Autobiography of a Dollar Bill by Lelia Plummer helped us understand the plight of impoverished young black street kids through the eyes of a dollar bill.

Mirama’s Christmas Test by Timothy Thomas Fortune shows us how upper-class black women took it upon themselves to improve their lot in life through hard work.

A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church by Margaret Black is a story of black church women trying to wield autonomy. This story had Jane Austenish overtones.

The Three Men and The Women by Augustus M Hodges, the only author to have a story and a poem included here, was about race relations. This story was dark and brought up the reality of lynching and the smug superiority that condoned and encouraged it.

It Came To Pass – A Christmas Story by Bruce L Reynolds was a sweet story about a miracle healing.

A Christmas Journey by Louis Lorenzo Redding was the complete opposite, ending on a dismal note, out of place with Christmas.

Uncle US Santa Claus by James Conway Jackson was a poem that demanded from the government the same rights and freedom to exist and thrive enjoyed by white people for the black people.

The Devil Spends Christmas Eve in Dixie by Andrew Dobson talks about the meaninglessness of Christmas rituals, and the mindless gaiety that it represents today, particularly when so much hate abounds in the form of lynching. This one is just as relevant in today’s time. This poem was hard-hitting.

In One Christmas Eve by Langston Hughes, a little boy is disillusioned and frightened when he learns that Santa Claus is just an old, white man.

Santa Claus is A White Man by John Henrik Clarke uses the same theme, but works out a darker ending. Once again, a little boy discovers that the myth of Santa Claus is a farce. Only this time, the child narrowly escapes a dire fate.

Merry Christmas Eve by Adele Hamlin is the beginning of a sweet romance.

White Christmas by Valena Minor Williams is also about Santa Claus, but brings in hope that things could be better for the little protagonist.

All in all, certainly a collection of stories that touched my heart.

[Melissa Hedges- Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not a sugar coated Christmas experience. It features stories and poems that teach, inform, touch and immerse the reader in a black person’s experience during the time periods of 1880-1953. The works vary with sweet, sentimental pieces as well as some heartbreaking experiences.
Before each individual piece, there are bios of all the authors and histories of how the the works evolved, which I found interesting.
My favorite work was “Christmas Eve Story” by Fanny Jackson Coppin.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolute MUST READ if you are interested in classic Christmas stories and poems.
This little treasure includes 18 stories and 4 poems.

What a delightfully informative book. The writing is beautiful and some of the stories are wonderfully familiar, but they are told from the African American perspective. Others are accounts of struggle, culture, family, love and sharing, but all have a Christmas theme.

This book contains 18 short stories and 4 poems. They are written by African Americans between approximately 1880 and 1953. At the beginning of each chapter, story or poem, there is a brief explanation of the author, their literary history, the time period, their contribution to African American literature and culture, and occasionally their sentiment of the piece you will next read. As one chapter pointed out their writings reflect the “new African American ideology that emerged in the 1920’s and explains black history, religion, and color in a positive vein”.

Many of these stories are familiar but are told from a perspective different than my own. They are lovely and charming, and both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. They reflect many of the same principles and beliefs of what I know to be traditional Christmas stories, and yet their often harsh reality is a painful reminder of the then economics and politics of the day.

One of my favorite pieces is “The Christmas Reunion Down at Martinsville”, a wonderful poem by Augustus M. Hodges, written in 1894.

Alice Ruth (née Moore) Dunbar wrote “The Children’s Christmas” likely 1897 as a new public school teacher. The joys of Christmas escape the five children she writes about who bear burdens far beyond their young years.

Each and every entry in this book is worth commenting on, but I wouldn’t do them justice. They really need to be read, and felt, and deeply considered, as each is very moving and telling. The backstory of each author is equally compelling on their own.

What an incredibly important and timely study of Christmas literature this was me. This is highly recommended reading for everyone and anyone interested in broadening their mind and knowledge of worldly studies.

I cannot say enough how similar all peoples truly are in their thought, ideologies, dreams, beliefs and cultures, and yet we often cannot put aside our differences and find common ground to live in harmony. We could all learn a great deal if we took the time to try to really understand what makes us “tick”.

This concludes my December adventure to celebrations of faith. I have read books on Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah, on Diwali (although it is celebrated in November) and a couple on Christmas. As I grew up celebrating Christmas in the Catholic faith, my adventure here was to learn about other December celebrations of faith or by other cultures. It’s never too late to learn something new, and in fact it’s exciting!

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I found most interesting about this book was the background on the authors of the stories included in the book. Most of them had advanced degrees from universities such as Harvard. Ms. Collier-Thomas could find no educational information on one or two of the writers yet she certainly did thorough research for the book.
Most of the stories were published in black newspapers and magazines in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The stories give glimpses into the thoughts, hopes, and aspirations of these writers as well as a peek into the lives of black Americans during these time periods.
Perhaps Ms. Collier-Thomas could someday do the same for 21st century black authors. Or indeed ask for contributions of short stories from contemporary black writers so that they could be compiled into a modern collection.
Thank you MS. Collier-Thomas for an enjoyable read.

[Barbara Mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a typical cozy book of Christmas stories! However, it is a deeply moving and touching collection of stories. It is a look at Christmas from a different perspective.

The stories were written by African American authors from 1880-1953. They were published in newspapers and journals and compiled into this collection. They reflect the challenges faced by African Americans during this time.

I was touched by the last few stories relating to Santa near the end of the book. They were about African American children and their relationship to Santa.

I recommend this book for readers looking for a challenging collection of stories from a different time & different perspective.

[Maddie Chyczij · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this one I found the context surrounding the stories to be much more interesting than the actual stories the majority of the time. However that is a credit to the author and her creation of this anthology, so it’s definitely a compliment. A couple of the stories, such as Santa Claus is a White Man, will stick with me for awhile, but honestly most of them were forgettable. However I’m grateful I read it, to get a piece of history that is rarely highlighted. Black writers of all genders have always existed, and I’m glad some of their work is highlighted over typical white writers of history.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up because my library system is featuring a collection of winter holiday ebooks. I didn't enjoy it, exactly, it's something I think I would have liked more in a lit class where I could talk about it with other people. It's a historical collection of Christmas stories written by Black writers. The earliest was published in 1885 & the last in 1953 and I struggle a bit with falling into older writing styles, especially in more literary fiction as opposed to fairy tales. I am glad I read this collection, though. I learned some interesting historical facts & genuinely enjoyed the humor in a couple of the stories.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories and poems give a deep insight into life during various time periods. There is a good variety of stories and poems and different lengths. I loved the information about the author. I struggled with skipping over parts of the introductions that gave away parts of the story or poem. I would have rather had that afterwards so as to not give anything away. So it felt a little disjointed reading it since I was trying to skip some parts.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories and poems published between 1880 and 1953. The editor wrote some information on the author of each piece as well as some historical context for the modern day reader. The feel of these stories have quite the range: humble and sweet, philosophical and intellectual, violent and sad, light hearted and amusing, and downright bone chilling. This classic Christmas collection is worth the read.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I enjoyed hearing about each of the authors, their families, careers & especially about how they made a difference in the lives & rights for African Americans.

It was interesting to hear the Christmas stories through their culture since they were all after the Civil War & before the major part of the Civil Rights movement. Although they were supposedly no longer slaves after the Civil War, the majority of them were definitely not free!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories. Be forewarned that many do not have your typical saccharine sweet Christmas ending. Be sure to read the preface to each story for a better understanding of the historical context.

[Bg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good compilation of Christmas and Kwanzaa stories.
Surprisingly a lot of the stories were read like poetry jams which were interesting, but I'm glad there is something to read other than sweet Hallmark Christmas stories.

[Faith P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book. Each short story or poem is introduced with a synopsis of the work and a biography of the author which was kinda cool. I was hoping to like this book more than I did. It was just ok.

[Amanda Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure!

I’m glad I found this title in my library app.
Imo the best parts of the stories were the bios that preceded them.
Thank you for these stories and their backgrounds and this wonderful book, Bettye Collier-Thomas!
🎄🎅🤶🧑‍🎄

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting set of Christmas themed stories and poems published between the turn of the century and the 1950s. Each story is preceded by a short biography of the author and some information about the social context of the story.

[Amber Page]

Final book for this years CHristmas story read with Camryn-a selection of short stories each prefaced by information about the author, how the story came to be and its meaning. My take away is that it is so sad. What thse kids had to endure tainted their holiday. Shame

[Penny's Preferences · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection of African American Christmas Stories. I loved how each story had an introduction and background on the author. It was also quite interesting to me how many of the authors were from Indiana, which is where I grew up.

[Amber]

Cammy's Christmas read-actually saw the book at Victoria Mansion. Some stories I didn't understand thoroughly. Each story had information about the author and story
Didn't think Cam would be interested

[Demetria Justablessing · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories that you would never know existed without deep diving. They are a testament to the African American holiday experience throughout earlier years in this country.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but definitely a Christmas downer.