Everett T. Christmas

Portrait photograph of Everett T. Christmas.As a child in Montclair, N.J., Everett Christmas lived next door to the Montclair YMCA. There, he began his professional YMCA career as a physical director. He later worked in Wilmington, Del. and as executive director at the Second Street Youth Center in Plainfield, N.J. Christmas returned to YMCA work in the late 1960s, in leadership positions in Newark and East Orange, N.J. For 16 years, Christmas worked with YMCA of the USA as a field consultant and trainer. He was also the director of the YMCA Black Achievers Program, which grew from seven to 125 local programs under his leadership. As a core member of the national staff development faculty, Christmas trained thousands of YMCA workers in YMCA history, the Y’s Christian heritage, and diversity. He retired in 1996, and continued to serve as a YMCA consultant, historian, and motivational speaker. He was honored with the YMCA Association of Professional Directors Knebel Award for Distinguished Leadership and was named to the National YMCA Black Achievers Hall of Fame. He also received a Humanitarian Award from the African American Culture Center of Raleigh, N.C