The Burden of Black Tax

Black tax is what many young black working professionals have to endure as part of their career successes in the modern world. After graduating and finding a fair job, the black professional has his or her immediate and extended family to look after.

What they earn is not only used to plough back, but to sustain the day-to-day livelihoods of their own families and communities. This is obviously related to our cultural values of looking after our own people, which is ideal.

However, black tax generally refers to the serious economic burdens faced by the young black professional.

Coming from many disadvantaged backgrounds, one does not have a choice but to support your parents, siblings and extended family members when you have to.

The young black professional I am referring to is the one who comes from an underprivileged and disadvantaged background. It is right to say that there are young black professionals who do not have to deal with black tax because of their privilege. These are the children of the few black middle-class elite.

Black tax poses many challenges on the black professional.

When it comes to self-development in terms of further education and enhancing the quality of livelihood, the young black professional is in a difficult position. Once in the position to provide financial support, it can become complex when it comes to career and personal decision making. Compared to his white and privileged black counterparts, the young black professional cannot easily leave their work to further their education.

Career flexibility and mobility, which is key for any young professional, is an issue for the young black professional. Being in a static and stagnant job provides a sense of security for the disadvantaged black unit.

This speaks a lot to the idea of the black struggle that does not seem to have an ending, even after a good number of years of being a successful professional in the real world. This affects our progress and growth on many levels.

The young black professional has to work twice as hard as his or her peers who come from privileged backgrounds. This is the case as from school days.

To this day, black children still have to work extra hard to prove their capabilities. Being from the townships or village, the young black professional spends his/her life battling to find a meaningful position and eventually taking care of his/her many needy relatives.

The young black professionals need to commit their efforts to building sustainable and growth-orientated careers so that the next generation of young black professionals do not have to deal with black tax.

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