Lozikeyi2👸👑

It is Black tax. This will be long but I feel compelled to share findings from my research on the intergenerational impacts of mass violence like genocide, slavery, apartheid, colonialism- etc. Saying Black tax doesn't mean the people you are helping are bad, undeserving, or a burden, It simply means Black people have a financial responsibility that most white people generally do not have, Because of how wealth was structured by apartheid, colonialism and slavery. As Black people, Many of our parents and families are yet to recover financially from these violent and unequal structures, So when a relatively financially stable Black person supports parents, siblings, cousins or extended family, That support is sometimes filling a wealth gap created by historical dispossession, Rather than simply being an individual choice. White people can absolutely support their families too, The difference is that, Historically, White families were generally better positioned to accumulate, retain and pass on wealth, Meaning the financial burden does not necessarily operate in the same structural way. So us looking after our extended families Is a form of taxation, In the sense that we cannot simply opt out of the responsibility, Because often, There is little accumulated family wealth or financial safety nets to fall back on. Therefore, Calling it a "tax", Is about the usually COMPULSORY nature, And structural origin of the obligation, Not about saying the people receiving the support are undeserving, Or those giving it are not happy to do so. It is a responsibility created by racialised wealth inequality. It is a form of taxation that is meant to improve our lives as Black people, Because it allows us to support our families and improve the lives of those around us, But unfortunately, It also sets back those paying the tax, Because instead of using all of what we earn to further ourselves, We have to spread the little we have thinly across many people. A Black person who earns enough to buy a mansion, Move to a better neighbourhood, Invest and accumulate generational wealth, May instead have to use part of that income to support their extended family. Their peers earning the same amount, But without the burden/responsibility of Black tax, May be able to use that same income to further themselves, And accumulate wealth at a much faster rate. And yes, It can be gratifying to look after your family, You may do it voluntarily, You may do it happily, But that does not change the fact that you are still paying the tax. And because you are paying that tax, You generally have less money to invest in yourself, Less money to accumulate wealth, And less money to move yourself and your children into a better economic position. So while Black tax can improve the lives of Black families, It can also perpetuate the very inequality that made the tax necessary in the first place. Because instead of one person using their income to move themselves out of poverty, They may have to spread that income across several people, Keeping everyone afloat, yes, But in doing so, Being kept further behind, By responsibilities they cannot simply opt out of, While those who inherited the economic benefits of historical crimes against Black peoples, Continue to accumulate wealth. Inde lendlela.😞