The connotations of the color black and blackness
One thing that we cannot run away from is the continuation of the
negative connotations associated with the color black.
There is nothing inherent in any color that indicates or suggests the
goodness of white or evilness of black – the superiority of white and
the inferiority of black. Yet superstition and prejudice abound on
what black stands for.
Common Connotations of Black
1. Black cat crossing your path is a sign of bad luck.
2. In the Bible evil is described as dark which should be dispelled by light.
3. A white wedding is a happy occasion where the bride is dressed in
an white wedding gown , whilst black is the de-facto dress code for a
bereaved family as a sign of mourning.
4. A white dove is a symbol of peace whilst black magic has a negative
reference to witchcraft and evil.
5. The black sheep of the family is the ne'er-do-well whilst a person
who extorts money is called a blackmailer
7. A person with a zero credit rating is referred to as being blacklisted?
8. A black-hearted person is mean and unloving whilst a blacklist is a
list of undesirable persons or entities
9. A black mark against a person relates to something bad they have
done and lastly a Black market is used to denote illegal trade
10. A "black day" (or week or month) usually refers to a sad or tragic time.
So why in the world do we have all the negative, degrading, inferior
references associated with the color black which in turn lead to the
same connotations being extrapolated to the black people of the world.
There are 2 scientific definitions of black which are superficially
opposite but actually complementary descriptions of black. Black can
be defined as the lack of all colors of light, or an exhaustive
combination of multiple colors of pigment. It seems that the world has
not taken cue from the latter definition which would see us defining
black as a form of convergence of some diversity as opposed to a lack
of, absence of e.t.c
Demographically the term "black" is often used to denote the ethnicity
of people whose actual skin color ranges from light to darker shades
of brown such as sepia. So one could argue that there are no black
people as much as there are no white people as most people are shades
of brown and shades of pink.
Etymology the word black comes from Old English blæc ("black, dark",
also, "ink"), from Proto-Germanic *blakkaz ("burned").
Here are some positive connotations of the color black
1. We all wear black robes to graduation
2. Black is an exhaustive combination of multiple colors so can be
linked to diversity and unity
3. Black is the best absorber of solar energy as energy is drawn
towards black substances
4. Judges and priests all wear black feeding on the historical and
cultural roots of black as a symbolism of power.
5. The original name for Egypt was Kemet (The Black Land) and Egypt is
known as the historical origin of modern civilization
6. Black is beautiful
7. And of-course the "Black belt" is the highest level in martial arts
signifying a high level of metal, physical and spiritual discipline.
In conclusion what steps can and should be taken to dispel these
dehumanizing myths that everything black is bad.
By Greg Chiponda
3 May 2011
One thing that we cannot run away from is the continuation of the
negative connotations associated with the color black.
There is nothing inherent in any color that indicates or suggests the
goodness of white or evilness of black – the superiority of white and
the inferiority of black. Yet superstition and prejudice abound on
what black stands for.
Common Connotations of Black
1. Black cat crossing your path is a sign of bad luck.
2. In the Bible evil is described as dark which should be dispelled by light.
3. A white wedding is a happy occasion where the bride is dressed in
an white wedding gown , whilst black is the de-facto dress code for a
bereaved family as a sign of mourning.
4. A white dove is a symbol of peace whilst black magic has a negative
reference to witchcraft and evil.
5. The black sheep of the family is the ne'er-do-well whilst a person
who extorts money is called a blackmailer
7. A person with a zero credit rating is referred to as being blacklisted?
8. A black-hearted person is mean and unloving whilst a blacklist is a
list of undesirable persons or entities
9. A black mark against a person relates to something bad they have
done and lastly a Black market is used to denote illegal trade
10. A "black day" (or week or month) usually refers to a sad or tragic time.
So why in the world do we have all the negative, degrading, inferior
references associated with the color black which in turn lead to the
same connotations being extrapolated to the black people of the world.
There are 2 scientific definitions of black which are superficially
opposite but actually complementary descriptions of black. Black can
be defined as the lack of all colors of light, or an exhaustive
combination of multiple colors of pigment. It seems that the world has
not taken cue from the latter definition which would see us defining
black as a form of convergence of some diversity as opposed to a lack
of, absence of e.t.c
Demographically the term "black" is often used to denote the ethnicity
of people whose actual skin color ranges from light to darker shades
of brown such as sepia. So one could argue that there are no black
people as much as there are no white people as most people are shades
of brown and shades of pink.
Etymology the word black comes from Old English blæc ("black, dark",
also, "ink"), from Proto-Germanic *blakkaz ("burned").
Here are some positive connotations of the color black
1. We all wear black robes to graduation
2. Black is an exhaustive combination of multiple colors so can be
linked to diversity and unity
3. Black is the best absorber of solar energy as energy is drawn
towards black substances
4. Judges and priests all wear black feeding on the historical and
cultural roots of black as a symbolism of power.
5. The original name for Egypt was Kemet (The Black Land) and Egypt is
known as the historical origin of modern civilization
6. Black is beautiful
7. And of-course the "Black belt" is the highest level in martial arts
signifying a high level of metal, physical and spiritual discipline.
In conclusion what steps can and should be taken to dispel these
dehumanizing myths that everything black is bad.
By Greg Chiponda
3 May 2011
