When you see a protest and like to complain, while tweeting about it and drinking champagne… privilege, white privilege.
The Kiffness have just released a new album called ‘Soul Safari’, and with it a track called ‘White Privilege’.
David Scott from The Kiffness is no stranger to stirring the media, and has been known to be quite outspoken about various topics including ‘White Privilege in South Africa.
In 2015, the band member wrote a thought piece on the subject on The Kiffness blog.
“It is uncomfortable to come to terms with the privileges I have inherited from being white. The natural thing is for me to say something like “But Apartheid ended years ago”, because I want to believe that I’m on level pegging with people of colour.”
“The reality is, I continue to benefit from a legacy that was built by tyrants, and people of colour continue to not.”
“I haven’t had to learn any languages except my mother tongue, I haven’t felt pressured to change my name & surname because it’s difficult for future employers to pronounce, I have had an education that has been almost exclusively in English.”
“The list goes on.”
“Whether I should feel bad about this privilege is not important, but I simply can’t ignore the racial inequality that we face as a country. The least I can do is respect that there is a lot of pain in the people who have been oppressed & it is important to not only understand that pain, but to feel it.”
“I see & feel things through my lens of a white privileged male, and so when I see people protesting about things that don’t necessarily affect me, my natural reaction is to say that it is a waste of time. Not only that, but I feel the urge to offer my white idealistic solution, which would make me feel all smug because I clearly have the right answers.”
“But before I comment from my place of privilege, I try to put myself in the shoes of someone who isn’t; I really try to understand the pain & frustration.”
“The reality is I will never know what it’s truly like to feel oppressed.”
“I certainly don’t have the answers, but I know that change starts with understanding and having compassion. I think that only once I begin to understand the pain of the oppressed, I can start to see things from a new lens.”
“Only once I have gained the perspective of the oppressed will I be able to do or say things that might be helpful.”
Just last year, the Cape Town band created a guide for dummies on White Privilege, which starts with the question “Does White Privilege exist?”
They posted it on their social media and Scott wrote at the time: “I thought of this thing in the bath. It’s mainly to help me make sense of my thoughts on my position as a white guy in SA, but I hope it’s helpful to you too .”
When one Facebook user said “So u r saying white privilege is a thing?! It WAS a thing. But DEF isn’t anymore”, David used his guide to reply: “According to my flowchart you are a Poepol.”
And now the Band have created a song with an accompanying video dealing with ‘White Privilege’ in their own ‘Kiff’ way.
Their new music video asks many of the same questions, while coining a new phrase… white disability.
“When you’re at a wedding and want to dance, but as much as you try you don’t stand a chance. Disability, white disability.”
The video aims to get at least 20 million views (if we go by what the record label said) and it seems that they might get there… because social media are loving the new track!
Prudence Mdaka posted: “I had to google Carla Carter”
Natascha Erasmus replied: “Did you find it? That song by Mandoza that white people can’t pronounce or dance to, but we sure do try
“
Sihle Wooda Magoo commented: “Carla Carter comes on, it’s your favorite song, it feels so right but you look so wrong”
Lusayo Mwangalawa said “Song of 2017 without a doubt”.
Watch the music video below:
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