LET'S TALK BLACK TAX.

Black tax is a term for what could be seen as giving back to your family or community. Now that doesn’t sound bad at all, expect there is more to it. This term is said to have originated from South Africa. I remember reading Trevor Noah’s ‘Born A Crime’ many years ago, he talked about his mom saving him from the incapacitating burden of black tax by encouraging him to seek life outside the confines of his orientation.

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Black tax is predominant amongst struggling communities with low incomes and economic impairment. When someone from a poor family breaks the financial barriers that naturally exists for them, by getting some education and building a nice profession for themselves, it is naturally expected that they become a poverty alleviation opportunity for that family and their community by extension; after all, it takes a village.

It sounds fair, it is reasonable and completely natural to help your people when you ‘make it’ but it becomes a crippling situation when the responsibilities over bears the income of whoever is in this position. A lot of people you see have to work ten times harder because the outlet of their earnings doesn’t match their income. There is just way too much responsibilities for them, lots of people to cater to and an over bearing number of mouths to feed.

Two things are common with black tax. - guilt and entitlement.
‘Remember where you’re coming from.’
‘Don’t forget the people at home.’
‘Don’t turn your back on the ones that made you.’

These are some of the words that accompany the instigation of black tax. Basically it is your responsibility to take care of everyone without a choice. It doesn’t even matter whether you can afford to, as long as you’re getting money, you have to be remitting your black tax.
We can’t have this conversation without talking about upbringing and the notion of sacrifices.

Basically, your parents made lots of sacrifices(read: their responsibilities) to get you to where you’re at; to give you an education which has now got you a decent life, so it is expected that you pay back. Excuse me, I was on my own in obscurity before you decided to have some sex which resulted in my existence, and here you are expecting that I pay back for you doing your damn job as a parent. It is annoying.
‘Your siblings had to pause their own education for you because we couldn’t afford it all’, nice! Now I gotta pay with my life.

There are also situations where no one contributed a tithing to your assumed success, you go out and made it on your own but now you have to be sending out checks to cater to ‘your people.’

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Don’t get me wrong, I understand low income earners have limited choices and options and they have to survive somehow. I did mention earlier that it is natural and sensible to take care of your own, but with black tax, it is not done out of convenience; you don’t do it because you can, you do it because you have to. The worst sense of entitlement and guilt tripping is made manifest in these situations. You have extended families and members of your local community expecting you to assume responsibilities for their welfare just because.

I have known black tax first hand, first hand? No, second hand actually. Lol. I’m not currently paying no black tax, I can barely afford the air I breathe Lol. But, my dad paid black tax all his life, my mom, my uncles are currently doing same(though no one is paying to me, rubbish) and what am amazes me is how entitled and unkind everyone usually is with their long list of requests and entitlement with zero consideration for their sponsors.

I have nothing against black tax per say; I would happily take care of my family(if they need taking care of) when I can afford to, emphasis on affordability. The whole notion of bending over backwards and putting the needs of others above yours is not really my style.
Problem no dey finish, and everyone will be okay eventually.
It would be nice to exist in a world where everyone has access to a decent living, where no one has to be overtly dependent on another for basic survival.

One thing black tax does to its 'victims' is keep them hovering around the borders of poverty. It makes it difficult for them to attain financial freedom because something is always taking from the little they’re stacking and it is just sad.

Unfortunately, it is a culture that isn’t going anywhere and my heart goes out to everyone bearing more than they can handle. It’ll be okay, someday. Hang in there. But save yourself if you can. My cousin upon deciding to opt out of the black tax culture, told me that if she drops dead tomorrow as a result of stress from overworking herself to cater to everyone, they would go on with their lives and find other means to meet their needs and I completely understood.

It is a blessing to be able to break the economic barriers you were born into and to to start supporting your family, but how sustainable is it for the individual in question? It is a burden, no doubt, but it is a natural one caused by economic imbalance and financial displacements; and what you consider a burden, the receivers consider a blessing.

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