Black Tax

I was sitting across the coffee table from Sophia as I was learning about her life in Nigeria. "Black tax" she said, was what held many Africans back but also was the social security net for families.

"Black tax" is the common term used for when African expats who have moved abroad are obliged to send a portion of their income to their families back in Africa. Especially the oldest, usually son, must do this. 

This is a tax on that person's ability to save, build up wealth, buy a home, or otherwise move up, ecomically speaking. It's similar to when parents pour all their time, attention, and money into their kids' education hoping and praying that they can one day go to college. 

As I (Jeff) oversee the finances of the ship and lead our crew bank (where crew can receive donations, save money, withdraw local currency, and use it for basic supplies like a toothbrush or a soda), I see the way money is handled. Africans and those from the Global North act, treat, and use money very, very differently. 

It is not a tax from the government. It is a societal and familial tax. Because if you have even the slightest amount of money, you're expected to share that when someone asks. You must say "yes". 

This is why it is common that, when you get paid or somehow get a windfall of money, you immediately go out and buy bricks for your house or some other physical asset. You've converted your cash (an asset) into another asset — bricks, wood, fuel, roof material, etc. Then, you have no money and, thus, you can say "Sorry, I don't have any cash".

So while we in the West may feel the squeeze as we need to take care of our children and also our aging parents, it is still quite a bit different here where there is no governmental social security income, medicare, or other safety nets — you are that safety net.