‘Black’ people almost everywhere in the world are raised with a sense of ‘community.’ The Yorubas, for instance, believe that a child is born ‘by’ four eyes and it is raised by 200.
While this sense of community has its perks, it has ingrained a great sense of responsibility among black people, causing them to not only work towards having better lives but also shoulder the responsibility of others around them. It starts with raising your siblings, and your step-siblings, and your cousins, and your neighbour, and your neighbour’s neighbour, etc.
Personally, I do believe that there is a fundamental problem with paying black tax, especially for people who are from low-income households — who are in fact the ones who have the most sense of community.
Wealth compounds. It is easier for you to make one million if you already have half a million but you can’t say the same for someone who has 25,000. It is easier to get more education and increase your income if you already have some form of education. But because of the black tax, many people are left with the most basic resources as new resources which could have compounded is sent into the community to help others, therefore leading to a situation where almost everyone gets the most basic of things and compounding becomes more difficult.
I propose; Black Tax evasion
During a Black Tax conversation with some of my colleagues last week, I asked that if you were unemployed as a person and your family/community could not rely on you, would they not find other means to survive outside of your input?
If they would survive outside of it, why not evade black tax for a period so you can compound your resources and be in a better position to help them in the future? If you are in a field/profession where you will be better paid if you had an MSc or some other form of advanced education, would it not be better for the community if you ‘ghosted’ for a while to achieve this education, be in a better financial position, and return better ready?
Alternatively, what if your heavy Black Tax payment comes with a time bracket after which you will evade and focus on building resources for yourself? Say, you dedicate between five and 10 years from when you get your first paying job to paying black tax then you cease and focus solely on your immediate responsibilities?
I have had the Black Tax talk with a lot of young people over the years and I have seen the differences in the quality of life between people who have to pay black tax and those who do not pay or pay very little; the gap is wide. While I believe it is impossible as a human to not be part of building a community or raising one, I propose that more people need to support Black Tax evasion for the good of the community. What do you think?
TEA
I saw this tweet last night:
and it reminded me of this NAN where I said beating yourself or your kids will not improve discipline. I think you should read that particular one again.
I also found this resourceful thread that you might want to go through:
I have been seeing a lot of documentaries on Netflix, some of which I think a lot of people should see. I made recommendations here:
That said… I have a little secret. I have been craving a cup of marriage for the past couple of days now. Please pray for my soul. It’s the streets v the home. And the home seems to be winning. Send help!!!
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Be nice to other people, smile as much as you can, and live freely. Have a great week.
Black tax is easier to evade if you're not the first born. Or if you can just damn any sense of being responsible.
Yes, they'll sort themselves out if you don't give but what if they won't?
Last week, my sister told me the condition of mum, it was heart-rending, yet she didn't want to call me. I had to empty my account for her.
It sucks, really. Without saving up to get a better skill or certificate, you won't be able to help them as much as you want to. But things keep disrupting your plans.
I think the idea is to discuss with them when they should reach out to you for help. Let them know why you're saying no at the moment.
Answer the call of Marriage my Minister.