Black
Black can also be used in many
neutral ways.
*The term black is often used in the
West to denote
race for persons whose
skin color ranges from light to darker shades of
brown. For a discussion of usage, see the main entry at
Black (people) and
Color metaphors for race.
* In arguments, things can be
black-and-white, meaning that the issue at hand is
dichotomized. However, this dualism is fraught with danger, as one may assign the colors "black and white" to bad and good, respectively. Also, few arguments have only two opposing sides.
* Black frequently symbolizes
ambiguity,
secrecy, and the unknown.
** A
black box is any device whose internal workings are unknown or inexplicable.
** A
black project is a secretive project, like
Enigma Decryption,
Narcotics, or police
sting operations.
** The
blackshirts were Italian Fascist militias (negative for anti-fascists, but presumably positive for the original fascists themselves)
** Some organizations are called "black" when they keep a low profile, like
Sociétés Anonymes and
secret societies.
* From
1988 until his death in the
2001 Daytona 500,
NASCAR driver
Dale Earnhardt was famous for driving a black
Chevrolet.
* The term "
black hole" is applied to
collapsed stars. This term is metaphorical in the extreme, because few properties of black objects or black voids apply to black holes. However, light emitted within a black hole's
event horizon cannot escape, hence a black hole cannot be directly observed.
* The national
rugby team of
New Zealand is called the
All Blacks, in reference to their black outfits.
*
Association football (soccer) referees traditionally wear all-black uniforms, however nowadays other uniform colors may also be worn.
* In
auto racing, a black
flag signals a certain driver to go into the pits.
* Black is also used for
anarchist symbolism, sometimes split in diagonal with other colors for further symbolism. The plain black flag is explained as the opposite of a white flag signalling surrender. It is also sometimes an anarchist dress code, with a practical benefit of not attracting attention and making later identification of a subject difficult. This strategy referred to as a
black bloc.
* In
German politics 'black' is used colloquially to refer to the conservative parties
CDU and
CSU.
* In
Portuguese politics, black is the party colour of the
Leftwing Bloc.
* In ancient
China, black was the symbol of
North and
Water, one of the main five colors. There is no negative or positive meaning associated with it.
* A polished black mirror is used for
scrying, and is thought to help see into the
paranormal world without interference or distraction.
* Members of the modern
subculture of
Goths dress predominantly in black.
* Many performers of
classical or other "serious" art music dress in all-black clothes for a
concert or
recital.
* A large number of sports teams have uniforms designed with black colors - many feeling the color sometimes imparts a psychological advantage in its wearers. Among the more famous (or infamous) include the
Oakland Raiders and
Pittsburgh Steelers of the
NFL, the
San Antonio Spurs of the
NBA, and
Inter Milan of the
Serie A of the
Italian soccer leagues.
* In the
Power Rangers and
Super Sentai series, all
Black Rangers have been male.
* Interestingly, among the Chinese communities of South-East Asian countries such as Singapore & Malaysia, "hak gau peh" which literally means "black dog beer" in Cantonese refers to
Guinness Stout.
*
Carbon black*
Ivory black*
Ebony*
Charcoal black* Mars black
*
List of colors
