Famous satirist Coconut Kelz, real name Lesego Tlhabi, is proud to be contributing to the conversations she feels need to be happen so Africans can truly unpack how they define their blackness.
Lesego is a firm believer in the notion that blackness is not a one size fits all, and people need to hold up space for others to be comfortable in defining blackness for themselves.
She is lending her voice in a new show set to air on Mzansi Magic. The highly anticipated four-part “Black Conversation Series” aims to get Africans to demystify misconceptions about blackness by discussing the issues around blackness and what it means to be black.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE the popular satirist said many things come into play when describing blackness.
“It's a whole lot of things. Its cultural factors, colour factors, biological factors. There are a lot of them that make someone black and I don't think anyone can define it for a person but that person. For me it's an internal thing to say: I am black and I am black enough for all the spaces I want to be in. Growing up I became more and more convinced t I don't have to wait for their permission. I definitely don't have to give it to someone else to decide for me what is being black. I've set the place at the table and if somebody thinks they can take it away, I'll just build another one.”
The satirist said her contribution in the conversation is through skits. She said the conversation around blackness has been happening and people just need to find the content.
“My content as Coconut Kelz is basically having these conversations through satire. Different people have these kinds of conversations through philosophical, historical or political ways. I think it's about surrounding yourself with the content because the conversations are happening.”
Lesego said she had to deal with being told she was not black enough.
“One of the episodes on the show focuses on blackness. In the episode I was in, I was told unequivocally I'm really not black enough. I feel like that has a lot to do with how I talk or where I went to school. It has very little to do with my interests or how I identify as myself or my experiences.”
In the past she has been vocal about her time at St Anne's Diocesan College and described her time there .
“I went to certain schools that reminded me every single day how black I was and how different that was. How awful that was. The work I do now, I'm continuing the conversation of what it means to be black.
“As Coconut Kelz I continue to push the envelope of whiteness, questioning it and I guess holding it accountable and that for me is being black. But I guess for other people it's not black enough. Because I'm doing it in this accent what I was speaking to was that if you don't have certain experiences and you grew up in a certain way, people will think to exclude you from being black.”
Coconut Kelz chats about embracing the chance to define blackness for herself
Lesego is a firm believer that blackness is not a one size fits all
Image: Supplied
Famous satirist Coconut Kelz, real name Lesego Tlhabi, is proud to be contributing to the conversations she feels need to be happen so Africans can truly unpack how they define their blackness.
Lesego is a firm believer in the notion that blackness is not a one size fits all, and people need to hold up space for others to be comfortable in defining blackness for themselves.
She is lending her voice in a new show set to air on Mzansi Magic. The highly anticipated four-part “Black Conversation Series” aims to get Africans to demystify misconceptions about blackness by discussing the issues around blackness and what it means to be black.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE the popular satirist said many things come into play when describing blackness.
“It's a whole lot of things. Its cultural factors, colour factors, biological factors. There are a lot of them that make someone black and I don't think anyone can define it for a person but that person. For me it's an internal thing to say: I am black and I am black enough for all the spaces I want to be in. Growing up I became more and more convinced t I don't have to wait for their permission. I definitely don't have to give it to someone else to decide for me what is being black. I've set the place at the table and if somebody thinks they can take it away, I'll just build another one.”
The satirist said her contribution in the conversation is through skits. She said the conversation around blackness has been happening and people just need to find the content.
“My content as Coconut Kelz is basically having these conversations through satire. Different people have these kinds of conversations through philosophical, historical or political ways. I think it's about surrounding yourself with the content because the conversations are happening.”
Lesego said she had to deal with being told she was not black enough.
“One of the episodes on the show focuses on blackness. In the episode I was in, I was told unequivocally I'm really not black enough. I feel like that has a lot to do with how I talk or where I went to school. It has very little to do with my interests or how I identify as myself or my experiences.”
In the past she has been vocal about her time at St Anne's Diocesan College and described her time there .
“I went to certain schools that reminded me every single day how black I was and how different that was. How awful that was. The work I do now, I'm continuing the conversation of what it means to be black.
“As Coconut Kelz I continue to push the envelope of whiteness, questioning it and I guess holding it accountable and that for me is being black. But I guess for other people it's not black enough. Because I'm doing it in this accent what I was speaking to was that if you don't have certain experiences and you grew up in a certain way, people will think to exclude you from being black.”
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