Black Symbolism And Meaning Black is associated with evil, gloom, night, and sadness. It's the hue associated with assurance and authority, and when contrasted with white, it represents the unending fight between day and night, good and evil, and right and wrong. The color black is used to indicate a number of things: death, taxes, bad luck, science fiction movies, and college courses among them. When you wear black, you are indicating that you want to be taken seriously and not made fun of. You want others to know that you're not trying to make a fool of yourself by wearing something outrageous or inappropriate. By choosing black, you are telling others that you don't want to be distracted from your serious intentions during a meeting or party. Of all the colors, black is the most powerful because it shows other people that you are aware of their existence and that you take their opinions seriously. Black also indicates sacrifice. When someone wears black, they are showing that they are making a sacrifice by not wearing something else. For example, if someone wears black shoes but has another color on top of it, then they are indicating that they are making a sacrifice by not wearing black shoes. A similar concept applies to clothing. If someone wears black pants but has a blue shirt underneath them, then they are showing that they are making a sacrifice by not wearing black pants.