Black ribbon
A public symbol of mourning and remembrance.
A black ribbon is a symbol of remembrance or mourning, often worn or displayed publicly to express consolation. It serves as a visual marker of grief, similar to a black armband, used by individuals or organizations to commemorate victims after specific incidents.
Sign of mourning
A black ribbon, much like a black armband, serves as a public symbol of mourning. It has been employed to honor those lost in the 1992 Westray Mine Disaster in Canada, the 1997 death of Princess Diana, and the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. More recently, in April 2024, a black ribbon was beamed onto the Sydney Opera House to remember the victims of the Bondi Junction stabbings. Google has also used the black ribbon in its logo to commemorate tragedies including the Charlie Hebdo attack, a 2016 plane crash in Colombia, the 2017 Portugal wildfires, and the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. On April 9, 2017, Google Arabic displayed the symbol for those killed in the Palm Sunday church bombings in Egypt. Similarly, after the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, both Turkish Wikipedia and Apple’s Turkish homepage featured a glowing black ribbon against a dark background as a gesture of sympathy.
Other meanings
A black ribbon with white polka dots is used for melanoma awareness. In Argentina, a black ribbon sometimes includes the national flag's colours at both ends to raise awareness about victims of subversive terrorism. The Anarchist Black Ribbon Campaign, inspired by the Blue Ribbon Online Free Speech Campaign, started in 1996 as a free speech campaign. During the 6th International Israeli Apartheid Week, the black ribbon was worn worldwide to support the Palestinian struggle. In India in 2011, it showed support for Anna Hazare's anti-corruption fast. It is worn on November 30 of every year by people who have suffered from self-harm intentions. In New Zealand, a black ribbon with a koru symbol supports ending domestic violence, while in Australia it raises awareness against domestic abuse of men and fathers.
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