by Stacy Jackson
December 19, 2023
Three women founded Black Paper Party, specializing in ornaments and wrapping paper depicting Black Santas, grandmothers, aunts and more.
Three Black women working at the Walmart headquarters in Arkansas discovered a shared passion for Christmas in 2019. Madia Willis, Jasmine Hudson, and J’Aaron Merchant also wanted more representation of Black culture in holiday décor. Over lunch, they devised business ideas combining their expertise in design and merchandising.
Initially selling wrapping paper and ornaments on Zazzle, the positive customer feedback convinced them of the concept’s viability. As Merchant stated, “We knew we had something good going.” The 2020 racial reckoning provided further incentive to launch a company showcasing authentic Black characters. Willis recalled, “We were like, ‘Alright, this is the time for us to put our brains together and see what we can come up with.’”
In 2020, the trio founded Black Paper Party, specializing in ornaments and wrapping paper depicting Black Santas, grandmothers, aunts and more. According to Hudson, the goal was to accurately portray “the nuanced features of the Black diaspora” with natural hairstyles and other thoughtful details. She emphasized, “These are not your average characters painted brown. These characters have the nuanced features of the Black diaspora and are culturally representative.”
Today, major retailers like Walmart, Target and CVS sell Black Paper Party products, including holiday cards, gift tags and stockings. Hudson said Black women frequently express appreciation for the representation. She stated, “A lot of them are saying that this was the first year they don’t have to go hunting for a Black Santa.”
According to CNN, a recent Shark Tank appearance yielded a $250,000 investment from Barbara Corcoran in exchange for 10% equity. Hudson said the funding will facilitate inventory growth, new hires and website upgrades. The national exposure also expanded brand awareness. As she articulated, “You can’t beat that type of exposure. We definitely want to bring the message of representation during seasonal celebrations to the masses.”
While 2022 saw small Valentine’s Day and Easter collections at Walmart, the founders envision products celebrating Black History Month at various retailers by 2024. The overarching mission, Willis stated, is ensuring “different perspectives of life” consistently appear on store shelves, not just occasionally. As she asserted, “It’s time for the seasonal industry to reflect different perspectives of life. A lot of retailers were behind the curve.”
Overall, Black Paper Party remains committed to normalizing and amplifying Black representation across holidays through original, culture-conscious designs sold widely to the mainstream public. Their success proves the strong demand for such products.
