Eniola Lasaki
Black Tax is the reality of many Africans. You think you’re making a decent living? Wait till the Black tax hits you hard. If you have an understanding family, good for you. However, if you are unfortunate to belong to those with a strong sense of entitlement, It’d be tough to strike a balance between your financial freedom and family obligations.
We asked a couple of Africans to share their experiences with Black tax and here’s what they had to say.
Amari, 35
A blood relative threatened me after I stopped sending money back home to Uganda to support her. She even called me a witch. I asked her not to insult me because I’m too ambitious to be just a witch. I asked her to call me ‘Head Witch’ or the ‘Advisor to Witches’.
John, 27
Back in my last semester at campus, this one uncle asked me for school fees for his daughter and when I told him that I don’t have money, he said I should not act like I have forgotten how he ‘babysat’ me
really nigha!
Zuri, 40
The black tax is real. A few months ago I was traveling in Southeast Asia and posted a pic on FB with my wife, and one of my cousins on my father’s side in Nigeria commented under the pic, “I see you and your wife are out here enjoying life, while we are suffering over here.”
Tunde, 32
A friend asked me for money after seeing a travel post on Facebook 7 years ago. After I said I don’t have he said shebi I traveled is it not money I used to travel.
Kosi, 26
A younger cousin of mine in Liberia tried to do the same guilt trip and I’ve never even met them. I never blocked someone so quickly.
Uthman, 28
I updated my FB dp after using same pic for over a decade. A distant cousin reached out and said I’m living large and have forgotten him. Never replied the message.
Lucy, 40
Oh believe me when I say I witnessed this exact situation in 2005, the rich brother had 2 while the poor brother had 5. Poor brother died and rich brother ended up with 7 children and two wives. Poor brother wife refused to work. While rich bro and wife both work.
Omari, 29
I have lost count of the number of harsh words thrown at me by certain people for not being financially available for them. Only if they knew…
Afia, 22
As someone raised by the extended family system, I find it weird how people talk about blacktax. The system absorbed me to reduce the burden on my mum when dad passed.
If you don’t want to give, don’t give! Either way, the person(s) will still survive.
Abiola, 25
