Black carries several well-documented associations that coexist rather than contradict — mourning and formality in much of the West, a marker of dignity in some liberation-movement symbolism, and a colour with no fixed meaning at all in many other contexts.
Black remains the most widely recognised colour for funeral attire in much of North America and Western Europe, descending from formal Victorian-era mourning customs.
North America and Western Europe
The African National Congress, the South African liberation movement founded in 1912, uses black to represent the African people in its own stated flag symbolism.
South Africa
Black is also simply a common, non-symbolic colour choice in fashion and design across most cultures, valued for its versatility rather than any specific meaning.
global
Each of these is a separately scoped, separately sourced practice — shown together for comparison, not because they share one underlying meaning.
Black and half-mourning purple in Victorian Britain
Historical — no longer current practiceBritain · 19th century (Victorian era) – early 20th century
Victorian-era mourning etiquette in Britain prescribed black clothing for an initial period of mourning, followed by a 'half-mourning' phase permitting muted purples and greys before a return to ordinary colours — a formalised social custom rather than a universal or timeless rule.
Black at contemporary Western funerals
Stable, widely documentedNorth America and Western Europe
Black remains the most widely recognised colour for funeral attire in much of North America and Western Europe today, though this expectation has loosened considerably compared with the formal Victorian-era mourning customs it descends from.
Black, green and gold in the African National Congress flag
Stable, widely documentedSouth Africa · African National Congress (ANC) · 1912
The African National Congress (ANC), the South African liberation movement founded in 1912, adopted a black, green and gold flag — colours later incorporated into post-apartheid South Africa's own national symbolism — historically associated with the people, the land, and mineral wealth respectively in commonly cited accounts.
Every claim above is scoped by the specific culture, region and/or period it applies to — none of these associations are presented as universal. See pigment and dye history for more.