Black
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226172264
2008-07-17T03:58:40Z
76.69.64.120
{{otheruses1|the color}}
{{sprotect2}}
{{infobox color
|textcolor=white
|title=Black (nigger)
|hex=000000
|symbolism = [[lack]], [[evil]], [[darkness]], [[Luck|bad luck]], [[crime]], [[Mystery (disambiguation)|mystery]], [[silence]], [[concealment]], [[elegance]], [[Capital punishment|execution]], [[end]], [[chaos]], [[death]], and [[secrecy]]
|r=0|g=0|b=0
|c=0|m=0|y=0|k=100
|h=-|s=-|v=0
|spelling=Color
|source=By definition}}
[[Image:Kofi_Annan.jpg]]
'''Black''' (commonly known as '''nigger''') is the [[color]] of objects that do not emit or [[reflect]] [[light]] in any part of the [[visible spectrum]]; they absorb all such frequencies of light. Sometimes black is described as an "achromatic color", but in practice it can be considered a color, as in expressions like "black cat" or "black paint".
==Color or light in science==
[[Image:Bitola-monastery.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nighttime]]
Black can be defined as the visual impression experienced in directions from which no [[visible light]] reaches the eye. (This makes a contrast with [[white]]ness, the impression of any combination of [[color]]s of [[light]] that equally stimulates all three types of color-sensitive visual receptors.)
Pigments that absorb light rather than reflect it back to the eye "look black". A black pigment can, however, result from a ''combination'' of several pigments that collectively absorb all colors. If appropriate proportions of three primary pigments are mixed, the result reflects so little light as to be called "black".
This provides two superficially opposite but actually complementary descriptions of black. Black is the lack of all colors of light, or an exhaustive combination of multiple colors of pigment. See also [[Primary colors]]
{| style="border:solid 1px black;" align=right
|+ † various [[CMYK]] combinations
!c!!m!!y!!k
|-
|align=right|0%||align=right|0%||align=right|0%||align=right|100%||align=center| (canonical)
|-
|align=right|100%||align=right|100%||align=right|100%||align=right|0%||align=center| (ideal inks, [[subtractive color#Limitations|theoretical only]])
|-
|align=right|100%||align=right|100%||align=right|100%||align=right|100%||align=center| ([[registration black]])
|}
In [[physics]], a [[black body]] is a perfect absorber of light, but by a rule derived by [[Albert Einstein|Einstein]] it is also, when heated, the best emitter. Thus, the best radiative cooling, out of sunlight, is by using black paint, though it is important that it be black (a nearly perfect absorber) in the [[infrared]] as well.
In elementary science, far Ultraviolet light is called "black light" because, unseen (per se), it causes many minerals and other substances to [[Phosphorescence|fluoresce]].
On January 16, 2008, researchers from [[Troy, New York]]’s [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] announced the creation of the darkest material on the planet. The material, which reflects only .045 percent of light, was created from [[carbon nanotube]]s stood on end. It absorbs nearly 30 times more light than the current standard for blackness{{fact|date=May 2008}}, and is 3 times darker than the current record holder for darkest substance. Scientists claim that the new material has great potential in the manufacturing of [[solar panel]]s.<ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7190107.stm Darkest ever material created:]</ref>
===Absorption of light===
{{Expand-section|date=August 2007}}
In keeping with the law of [[conservation of energy]], as a black color surface absorbs the [[light]] particles that hit it, the surface's particles are getting excited (excited particles = higher [[temperature]]). The color black attracts heat and absorbs it making the object that is black warmer, because the particles have warmed up and are moving faster.
==Usage, symbolism, colloquial expressions==
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[[Image:Black cat eyes.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A black cat]]
===Neutral symbolism===
Some of these can be seen as positive or negative, depending on one's stance. For example, [[superstitions]] related to black cats hold them to be [[bad luck]] in the U.S. and [[good luck]] in the UK.
====Authority and seriousness====
Black can be seen as the color of authority and seriousness.
*[[Black Watch]] is the senior [[Highland Regiment]] of the [[British Army]].
*In [[Japanese culture]], ''kuro'' (black) is a symbol of nobility, age, and experience, as opposed to ''shiro'' (white), which symbolizes serfdom, youth, and naiveté. Thus the [[black belt (martial arts)|black belt]] is a mark of achievement and seniority in many [[martial arts]], whereas in, for example, Shotokan karate, a white belt is a rank-less belt which comes before all other belts. These ranks are called [[Dan rank|''dan'']].
*In the long-running [[Japan]]ese ''[[tokusatsu]]'' TV series ''[[Super Sentai]]'' (and its American counterpart, ''[[Power Rangers]]''), black is one of the colors worn by the eponymous heroes.
*Black was the color of the [[Arab]] dynasty of [[Abbasid]] [[caliph]]s, which is the reason black is frequently used in flags of [[Arab countries]].
*The [[riot control]] units of the [[Basque Autonomous Police]] in [[Spain]] are known as ''[[beltzak]]'' ("blacks") after their uniform.
*Traditionally, [[police]] vehicles ("[[panda car]]s") were in black and white.
[[Image:2002 WGT Goths.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A goth couple]]
====Clothing====
*[[Academic dress]] includes black robes for graduates.
*Black [[tuxedos]] are worn at formal occasions known as [[black tie]] functions.
*Black is worn by religious figures within [[Christianity]], e.g. [[priest]]s (especially of the older [[religious denomination]]s), monks and nuns.
*Black is worn by [[Hassidim|Hassidic Jews]].
*Black is worn by some [[women and Islam|Muslim women]]; see [[List of types of sartorial hijab]] for photographs of examples such as the ''[[abaya]]''.
*[[Lawyer]]s and [[judge]]s often wear black robes.
*Many performers of [[European classical music]] or other serious art music dress in black for a [[concert]] or [[recital]].
*Members of the modern [[Goth subculture|goth]] and [[emo subculture|emo]] subcultures dress predominantly in black (see also [[goth fashion]]).
====Demography====
*The term "black" is often used in [[Western World|the West]] to denote the [[Race (classification of human beings)|race]] of people 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 terminology for race]].
====Philosophy====
*In arguments, things can be [[black-and-white]], meaning that the issue at hand is [[dichotomy|dichotomized]] (having two clear, opposing sides with no middle ground).
*In [[ancient China]], black was the symbol of ''North'' and ''Water'', one of the main five colors.
[[Image:Anarchist.svg|thumb|right|200px|[[Anarchist]] flag]]
====Politics====
*The [[List of black flags]], although not exclusively political, gives many political meanings.
*Black is used for [[anarchist symbolism]], sometimes [[Anarchist symbolism#Bisected flags and stars|split in diagonal with other colors]] to show alignment with another [[political philosophy]]. The plain [[black flag]] is explained in various ways, sometimes as an anti-flag or a non-flag. Wearing black clothing is also sometimes an anarchist tactic during demonstrations, with a practical benefit of not attracting attention and making later identification of a subject difficult. This strategy is referred to as a [[black bloc]].
*In [[Portugal|Portuguese]] politics, black (and red) is the party color of the [[Left Bloc]].
*The [[blackshirts]] were [[Fascism in Italy|Italian Fascist]] militias.
*The [[Black triangle (badge)|black triangle]] was used by the [[Nazi]]s to designate "asocial" people (homeless and [[Roma people|Roma]], for example); later the symbol was adopted by [[lesbian culture]].
====Popular culture====
*[[Amy Winehouse]]'s Grammy Award winning song and album [[Back to Black]]
*"[[Black Hole Sun]]" is an award-winning (1995 [[Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance]]) song by the Seattle band [[Soundgarden]] from their albums ''[[Superunknown]]'' (1994) and ''[[A-Sides]]'' (1997).
*[[Black metal]] is a style of music including bands such as [[Darkthrone]] and [[Mayhem]].
*[[Johnny Cash]] was commonly referred to as "The Man in Black" due to his preference for black clothing. His song "[[Man in Black]]" presents it as a show of solidarity with the outcasts of society.
*The [[folk song]] "[[Black Is the Color (of My True Love's Hair)]]".
*The band [[AC/DC]] sang "Back in Black", a song about being successful and ambitious once again.
*In a book by the [[Stan and Jan Berenstain|Berenstains]], titled ''Call Me Mrs.,'' the wife tells the husband in the garden, "You not only fixed those lousy [[aphids]], you developed that long-sought-after variety--the pure black [[rose]]!"
*The band [[Muse]] released an album entitled [[Black Holes & Revelations]], one of the songs on it was called [[Supermassive Black Hole]].
====Science====
*[[Black sky]] refers to the appearance of space as one emerges from the Earth's atmosphere.
*The term "[[black hole]]" is applied to [[Gravitational collapse|collapsed stars]]. This term is metaphorical however, 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.
====Sport====
*The national [[rugby union]] team of [[New Zealand]] is called the ''[[All Blacks]]'', in reference to their black outfits, and the color is also shared by other New Zealand national teams such as the [[Black Caps]] (cricket) and the [[Kiwis]] (rugby league).
*[[Association football|Association football (soccer)]] [[referee (football)|referees]] traditionally wear all-black uniforms, however nowadays other uniform colors may also be worn.
*A large number of 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 [[Oakland Raiders]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] of the [[NFL]], the [[San Antonio Spurs]] and [[Miami Heat]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]], and [[Internazionale Milano F.C.|Inter Milan]] of the [[Serie A]] of the [[Italian football league system|Italian soccer leagues]].
*In [[auto racing]], a black flag signals a driver to go into the pits.
*In [[baseball]], "the black" refers to a blacked out [[baseball]] area around the center-field bleachers, painted black to give hitters a decent background for pitched balls.
====Ambiguity and secrecy====
*A ''[[black box]]'' is any device whose internal workings are unknown or inexplicable. In theatre, the [[black box]] is a smaller, undecorated theater whose auditorium and stage relationship can be configured in various way.
*A ''black project'' is a secretive project, like [[Enigma machine|Enigma Decryption]], other classified military programs or operations, [[Narcotics]], or police [[sting operation]]s.
*Some organizations are called "black" when they keep a low profile, like [[Société Anonyme|Sociétés Anonymes]] and [[secret societies]].
*A polished black mirror is used for [[scrying]], and is thought to help see into the [[paranormal]] world without interference or distraction.
*Black frequently symbolizes [[ambiguity]], [[secrecy]], and the unknown.
===Positive symbolism===
[[Image:Allah.JPG|thumb|200px|right|[[Calligraphic]] name of [[Allah]] in [[Arabic]]]]
*Black can also be seen as the color of prestige: for example, [[limousine]]s are usually in black.
====Beliefs, religions and superstitions====
*[[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] associated black with the life-giving soil.
*In the [[Maasai]] tribes of [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]], the color black is associated with rain clouds, a symbol of life and prosperity.
*The medieval [[Christian sect]] known as the [[Cathar]]s viewed black as a color of perfection.
*The [[Hindu]] deity [[Krishna]] means "the black one".
*The [[Rastafari movement]] sees black as beautiful.
====Economy====
*[[Black Friday (shopping)]] occurs the day after [[Thanksgiving]] and is, statistically, the largest shopping day in the US. The idea is that the shopping that begins on this day can put a company into the black (i.e., make a profit) for the year.
*To say one's accounts are "in the black" is used to mean that one is free of debt.
**Being "in the red" is to be in debt—in traditional bookkeeping, negative amounts, such as costs, were printed in red ink, and positive amounts, like [[revenues]], were printed in black ink, so that if the "[[bottom line]]" is printed in black, the firm is profiting.
====Fashion====
*In Western [[fashion]], black is considered stylish, sexy, elegant and powerful.
*The colloquialism "X is [[the new black]]" is a reference to the latest trend or fad that is considered a wardrobe basic for the duration of the trend, on the basis that black is always fashionable. The phrase has taken on a life of its own as a [[snowclone]], and has been stretched and parodied as a [[rhetoric]]al device and a [[cliche]].
===Negative symbolism===
Black can also carry negative connotations. The reasons for this are various, but the most widely accepted explanations are that [[night]] is perceived as dangerous. Especially before electric lights, darkness was potentially threatening. A secondary reason is that stains are most visible as dark additions to pale materials. Some people associate black with evil and destruction as it naturally absorbs all light and even the Black Hole is described as 'nature's ultimate fury'.
This use of the word and its associations carries over from night and objects to people as well. In traditional class-based Western cultures, pale skin indicated genteel domestic or intellectual indoor-work as opposed to rough outdoor labor in the fields. Aspects of this black/white opposition are not unique to the West, as, for example in the [[India]]n [[varna (caste)|varna]] system and in Japanese [[geisha]] makeup. [[African]], [[Afro-Caribbean]] and [[African-American]] writers, such as [[Frantz Fanon]], [[Langston Hughes]], [[Maya Angelou]], and [[Ralph Ellison]], identify a number of negative symbolisms surrounding the word "black", arguing that the good vs. bad dualism associated with white and black provide prejudiced connotations to [[color terminology for race]].
====Beliefs, religions and superstitions====
*Black is a symbol of [[mourning]] and bereavement in Western societies, especially at funerals and memorial services. In some traditional societies, within for example [[Greece]] and [[Italy]], widows wear black for the rest of their lives. In contrast, across much of Africa and parts of Asia, white is a color of mourning and is worn during funerals.
*In English [[heraldry]], black means darkness, doubt, ignorance, and uncertainty. <ref>(The American Girls Handy Book, p. 370) </ref>
====Symbolic dualism with white====
*[[Black magic]] is a destructive or evil form of [[magic (paranormal)|magic]], often connected with [[death]], as opposed to [[white magic]]. This was already apparent during Ancient Egypt when the Cush Tribe invaded Egyptian plantations along the Nile River.
*Evil [[witches]] are stereotypically dressed in black and good [[fairies]] in white.
*[[Melodrama]] villains are dressed in black and heroines in white dresses.
*In many [[Western (genre)|Hollywood Westerns]], bad cowboys wear [[black hat]]s while the good ones wear white.
*In [[computer security]], a [[blackhat]] is an attacker with evil intentions, while a [[whitehat]] bears no such ill will. (This is derived from the Western movie convention.)
====Historical events====
*A "black day" (or week or month) usually refers to a sad or tragic time. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] marked ''[[fasti]]'' days with white stones and ''nefasti'' days with black.
**E.g., the [[Wall Street Crash 1929]], the [[stock market crash]] on [[October 29]], [[1929]] which is the start of the [[Great Depression]], is nicknamed Black Tuesday, and was preceded by Black Thursday, a downturn on [[October 24]] the previous week.
**[[Black Monday]], [[stock market crash]] on [[October 19]], [[1987]].
**[[Black Wednesday]] caused Britain to pull out of the [[European Exchange Rate Mechanism]].
**[[Black Friday]], various tragic events. (Exception: See [[Black Friday (shopping)]].)
*Black months include:
**the [[Black September in Jordan]], in which thousands were killed.
**[[Black July]] killing of the [[Tamil people|Tamil]] population by the [[Sinhala people|Sinhalese]] government in [[Sri Lanka]].
**[[Black Spring]] 2001 (''Printemps noir''), in the [[Berber people|Berber]] region of [[Kabylia]] ([[Algeria]]), when the police shot and killed more than 100 people.
*The [[Black Death]], also known as the Black Plague, was a pandemic in Europe which killed tens of millions of people.
*The [[Black Hole of Calcutta]] was the overcrowding of an impromptu prison cell in which many died.
<!-- None of these examples seem negative. Can lyrics or proof be found?
====Popular culture====
*Many poems and songs use the word black negatively (e.g. "Paint It, Black" ([[Rolling Stones]]), "Baby's In Black" ([[Beatles]]), "Black Eyed Dog" ([[Nick Drake]]), "Black Sun" ([[The Cult]]),"Fade to Black" ([[Metallica]], [[Dire Straits]], [[Zeromancer]]), "Black" ([[Pearl Jam]]). -->
====Expressions====
[[Image:Hebridean ram.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A black ram]]
*The [[black market]] is used to denote the trade of illegal goods, or alternatively the illegal trade of otherwise legal items at considerably higher prices, e.g. to evade [[rationing]].
*[[Black comedy]] is a form of [[comedy]] dealing with morbid and serious topics.
*A [[blacklist]] is a list of undesirable persons or entities (to be placed on the list is to be "blacklisted").
* To [[Blackball (blacklist)|blackball]] someone is to block their entry into a [[club]] or some such institution. In the traditional English [[gentlemen's club]], current members vote on the admission of a candidate by secretly placing a white or black ball in a hat. If upon the completion of voting, there was even one black ball amongst the white, the candidate would be denied membership, and he would never know who had "blackballed" him.
*[[Blackmail]] is the act of threatening to reveal information about a person unless the threatened party fulfills certain demands. This information is usually of an embarrassing or socially damaging nature. Ordinarily, such a threat is illegal.
*The [[black sheep (term)|black sheep]] of the family is the ne'er-do-well.
*A black mood is a bad one (cf [[Winston Churchill]]'s [[clinical depression]], which he called "my black dog").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianethicstoday.com/Issue/016/Dancing%20with%20the%20Black%20Dog%20By%20Hal%20Haralson_016_7_.htm|title=Dancing with the Black Dog|author=Hal Haralson|work=christianethicstoday.com|accessdate=2006-11-10}}</ref>
*If you sink the black eight-ball in billiards before all others are out of play, you lose.
*A black mark against you is a bad thing.
*A black-hearted person is mean and unloving.
*[[Black propaganda]] is the use of known falsehoods, partial truths, or masquerades in propaganda to confuse an opponent.
==Pigments==
Black pigments include [[carbon black]], [[ivory black]], [[ebony]], [[onyx]] and [[charcoal]] black.
==References==
<references/>
==See also==
*[[Black triangle]]
*[[List of colors]]
{{web colors}}
{{Shades of gray}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|black.ogg|2005-08-16|5.9 mega}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.sensationalcolor.com/content/view/1054/144/ All About Black]
[[Category:Spoken articles]]
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