A black Facebook profile picture has become a common way for users to visually show solidarity, raise awareness or commemorate a tragic event or loss. The meaning behind a black profile photo depends on the context in which it is being used. Here are some of the common reasons people use a black profile picture on Facebook and what it symbolizes.
Mourning Someone’s Death
One of the most common reasons people set their Facebook profile photo to black is to publicly mourn someone who has died. When a high-profile celebrity, politician, or community figure passes away, it is common to see hundreds or thousands of people on Facebook change their photo to black to honor the person.
For example, after the deaths of celebrities like David Bowie, Prince, or Kobe Bryant, waves of Facebook users changed their profile pictures to black to commemorate their lives and express collective grief. The same thing often happens after tragic events that result in loss of life, such as school shootings, natural disasters, or major accidents.
Setting a black profile photo is a way for people to show their sadness over the loss of life and to demonstrate solidarity with the affected community. It can also be seen as a public expression of mourning when users feel emotionally affected by someone’s passing even if they did not know the deceased person directly.
Honoring Major Tragedies
Changing a profile picture to black is also a way for Facebook users to show solemn recognition of major tragedies, disasters, or acts of terrorism. In the aftermath of horrific events such as mass shootings, terrorist attacks, genocides, and natural disasters, many people set their profile photos to black as a sign of mourning, respect or to display solidarity with victims and survivors.
For example, people across the world set their profile pictures black in the wake of terror attacks in Paris, Beirut, Brussels, Orlando, and other cities. After catastrophic events like the Haiti earthquake, Japan tsunami, or Hurricane Katrina, black profile photos also became ubiquitous on the platform. Setting a black photo in these situations demonstrates a feeling of grief and gravity in response to these impactful events.
Supporting a Cause or Movement
Another common reason people make their Facebook photos black is to demonstrate support for a cause, movement, or campaign. For example, both profile pictures and cover photos are sometimes changed to black to show solidarity for movements like:
- Black Lives Matter
- MeToo
- Time’s Up
- Bring Back Our Girls (for Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram)
- Transgender rights
- Immigration reform/DREAMers
- Mental health awareness days like World Suicide Prevention Day
Changing a profile photo to black can signify alignment with or promotion of these causes. It shows that the user is knowledgeable about the issue and wishes to visually express their stand against racism, discrimination, violence, or disadvantages facing these groups.
Commemorating Significant Events
Black profile photos may also be used to mark historically significant events, commemorations, or dates. For example:
- September 11th attacks
- Anniversary of Rwandan genocide
- Holocaust Memorial Day
- Transgender Day of Remembrance
- Anniversary of a shooting, disaster, or tragic event
On these occasions, users may opt to set a black profile picture with the goal of increasing awareness, showing respect for lives lost, or encouraging reflection. It can serve as a small act of remembrance for events that should not be forgotten.
Protesting or Boycotting
Setting a black profile photo can also be a form of silent protest or boycott. For example, in January 2012, Wikipedia participated in an Internet blackout for 24 hours with a blacked out logo to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Some Facebook users changed their profile pictures in solidarity.
Similarly, when the social network Parse was acquired by Facebook back in 2013, over 100,000 Parse developers changed their profile pictures black to signal dissatisfaction. And in 2005, black profile photos were used by bloggers to protest lack of freedom of speech protection for online writers and journalists.
So in certain contexts, blacking out a profile photo can suggest dissent, promote greater awareness of an issue, or motivate people to take action in response to an unpopular decision or policy.
Showing Restraint and Mourning on Significant Days
Black profile pictures may also be used to exhibit solemnity and restraint on certain culturally significant days:
- Good Friday (a day of mourning Jesus’ crucifixion for Christians)
- Ashura (a day of mourning commemorating the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali in Islam)
- Veterans Day/Remembrance Day
- 9/11 anniversary
On these days, people may opt for a black photo rather than their typical personal photo as a gesture of respect.
Showing Off a Stylish Black-and-White Photo
Some Facebook users choose black profile pictures simply because they like the aesthetic look of an artistic black-and-white or grayscale photo. Black-and-white portraits can have a dramatic, elegant, or somber vibe that appeals to certain personalities or photography fans. The color palette also shifts focus to lighting and facial expressions rather than eye-catching colors. So in some cases, a black profile picture can simply reflect personal style and photographic taste rather than holding deeper meaning.
Privacy or Anonymity
In rare cases, a completely black profile photo may be used by those wishing to remain anonymous or avoid easy recognition on Facebook. For privacy reasons, certain individuals may default to a plain black image rather than using a identifiable personal photo.
A Trend or Meme
Facebook black profile pictures occasionally trend as memes, often meant humorously rather than as serious commentary. For example, in January 2010 a trend emerged of users changing their profile photo to a black square representing “No Pic Day” or “No Profile Picture Day.” Similarly, some join in blacking out their photo temporarily as part of viral trends or awareness campaigns.
Accidental or Glitch-Related
In some cases, users report their Facebook profile image unintentionally changed to solid black because of a glitch or technical issue rather than an intentional decision. So a fully black photo may also result from random app or Facebook platform bugs.
Conclusion
Black profile photos can carry many different meanings on Facebook. Most commonly, users change their picture to black to mourn losses, commemorate major events, show solidarity for causes, or raise awareness about issues. Less frequently, black photos may relate to personal style, privacy preferences, viral trends, or technical errors. The intent behind a black profile image can range from serious to lighthearted depending on the context.