# What is the connection between wearing black and identifying with the poor and the downtrodden?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 14, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414 "2018-04-14T15:28:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MaverocK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaverocK)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/1 "2018-04-14T15:28:52Z")
At the beginning of the video in the link below (Johnny Cash - God’s Gonna Cut You Down) a guy says Johnny always wore black because he identified with the poor and the downtrodden. I can’t understand the meaning of the black color here. Why is the black color, not any other color, worn to identify with the poor and the downtrodden?
Johnny Cash - God’s Gonna Cut You Down ([Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJlN9jdQFSc)
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/2 "2018-04-14T15:39:36Z")
Think of it as a form of mourning.
[Man in Black.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY8_vZXo8oY)
Reported for forum change.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/3 "2018-04-14T16:59:46Z")
Since this is about Johnny Cash specifically, let’s move it to Cafe Society.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/4 "2018-04-14T17:07:02Z")
Apparently Cash first wore black because he thought it looked good on him. Meanwhile, he wanted to tell everyone that he sympathized with downtrodden people. He began saying that wearing black showed one’s sympathy with the downtrodden because it was a convenient way of connecting the two things:
> **[Why Did Johnny Cash Always Wear Black? 25 Facts about America's Outlaw](https://folsomcasharttrail.com/the-trail/blog/why-did-johnny-cash-always-wear-black-25-facts-about-americas-outlaw)**
>
> Think you know everything there is to know about the Man in Black? How many of these questions can you answer?
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/5 "2018-04-14T17:10:54Z")
[Here’s](https://folsomcasharttrail.com/blog/articles/postid/50/why-did-johnny-cash-always-wear-black-25-facts-about-americas-outlaw) an additional statement by Cash:
> [@](#):
>
> It’s been reported that Cash wore a black shirt at his first performance at a Memphis church because he wanted to look “smart,” and that he continued to wear black for good luck in every performance after.
>
> Later, the Man in Black had this to say about his apparel:
>
> “I wore black because I liked it. I still do, and wearing it still means something to me. It’s still my symbol of rebellion - against a stagnant status quo, against our hypocritical houses of God, against people whose minds are closed to others’ ideas.”
More prosaic explanations are [here:](http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7364)
> [@](#):
>
> At first, Cash and his band wore black shirts because it was the only matching color they had in their wardrobes. Cash wore other colors on stage early in his career, but claimed to like wearing black both on and off stage.
>
> …
>
> "People often say to me, ‘Tell me why Johnny wore black,’ Cash’s drummer WS “Fluke” Holland said to Mojo magazine April 2012. “And I say it’s real simple. Back then when we’d leave on tour, the longer you could wear the clothes you had on, the better it was. So if you had on black, it wouldn’t show dirt as quickly as anything else.”
More from Cash’s daughter:
> [@](#):
>
> Mojo reports Cash’s eldest daughter, Rosanne, saying in 2008 that there was a deeper complexity to the song. “There’s so many levels to it,” she explained. “One is saying, ‘I’m wearing this symbol for the downtrodden and the poor.’ The other was much more subtle to me: it reflected the sadness, the convulsions, just that mythic dark night of the soul that he went through so many times.”
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/6 "2018-04-14T17:12:40Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#):
>
> Apparently Cash first wore black because he thought it looked good on him. Meanwhile, he wanted to tell everyone that he sympathized with downtrodden people. He began saying that wearing black showed one’s sympathy with the downtrodden because it was a convenient way of connecting the two things:
>
> [Why Did Johnny Cash Always Wear Black? 30 Facts about America's O](https://folsomcasharttrail.com/blog/articles/postid/50/why-did-johnny-cash-always-wear-black-25-facts-about-americas-outlaw)
> [@](#):
>
> Mojo reports Cash’s eldest daughter, Rosanne, saying in 2008 that there was a deeper complexity to the song. “There’s so many levels to it,” she explained. “One is saying, ‘I’m wearing this symbol for the downtrodden and the poor.’ The other was much more subtle to me: it reflected the sadness, the convulsions, just that mythic dark night of the soul that he went through so many times.”
Especially so when contrasted with the flashy dress of other star performers. And being able to tie in your signature style with some other significant thing you are trying to say is effective messaging.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/7 "2018-04-15T05:05:20Z")
Like how the black SS uniforms showed their sympathy for the poor and downtrodden of Germany.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/8 "2018-04-15T05:11:20Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> Like how the black SS uniforms showed their sympathy for the poor and downtrodden of Germany.
Yeah, but how many hits did they have on the C&W charts?
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### Author:  [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/9 "2018-04-15T15:37:57Z")
The “connection between wearing black and identifying with the poor and the downtrodden” is Johnny Cash. It’s not a connection that appears to have much traction in the rest of the world.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/10 "2018-04-15T16:44:28Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Yeah, but how many hits did they have on the C&W charts?
This put an image of a _“Nazi Hootenanny”_ into my head and made me chuckle.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/11 "2018-04-15T17:23:30Z")
> [@naita](#):
>
> The “connection between wearing black and identifying with the poor and the downtrodden” is Johnny Cash. It’s not a connection that appears to have much traction in the rest of the world.
That’s not true - black has been the preferred color of various anarchist movements for over a century, from their flags to their clothing. Now, you may argue as to how much anarchists actually care about the poor and downtrodden, but the connection is a longstanding one.
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/12 "2018-04-15T19:54:47Z")
Did Johnny Cash really do some research and find that anarchists liked to wear black? Is there really any evidence that he remotely considered himself an anarchist? Isn’t it more likely that he knew nothing about anarchists?
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/13 "2018-04-15T20:18:21Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#):
>
> Did Johnny Cash really do some research and find that anarchists liked to wear black? Is there really any evidence that he remotely considered himself an anarchist?
Probably not. In post 4 it states,
"Apparently Cash first wore black because he thought it looked good on him. Meanwhile, he wanted to tell everyone that he sympathized with downtrodden people. He began saying that wearing black showed one’s sympathy with the downtrodden because it was a convenient way of connecting the two things:
[https://folsomcasharttrail.com/blog/...mericas-outlaw](https://folsomcasharttrail.com/blog/...mericas-outlaw)"
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/14 "2018-04-15T20:36:02Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Yeah, but how many hits did they have on the C&W charts?
None, but you know the story; it’s all political.
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/15 "2018-04-15T20:37:13Z")
Yeah, I know what it says in post #4. I wrote post #4. Those were rhetorical questions.
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### Author:  [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/16 "2018-04-15T20:43:55Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> That’s not true - black has been the preferred color of various anarchist movements for over a century, from their flags to their clothing. Now, you may argue as to how much anarchists actually care about the poor and downtrodden, but the connection is a longstanding one.
Even if they do, they’re wearing black because there’s a longstanding connection between anarchist movements and wearing black, not because there’s a connection between identifying with the poor and downtrodden and wearing black. I’m fairly certain Johnny Cash’s choice is unrelated and I’d like to see at least a single instance of someone saying they’re wearing black because of the anarchist support for the poor and downtrodden before I accept the point as relevant.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/17 "2018-04-15T21:51:14Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#):
>
> Did Johnny Cash really do some research and find that anarchists liked to wear black? Is there really any evidence that he remotely considered himself an anarchist? Isn’t it more likely that he knew nothing about anarchists?
I dunno. Is this thread exclusively about Johnny Cash, or about people wearing black in general?
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/18 "2018-04-15T22:49:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> That’s not true - black has been the preferred color of various anarchist movements for over a century, from their flags to their clothing. Now, you may argue as to how much anarchists actually care about the poor and downtrodden, but the connection is a longstanding one.
The anarchist black flag represents the absence of a flag, a rejection of government in general. It has more to do with anti-authoritarianism than support for the poor.
You could make a better case for some religious orders that wear black, but not all religious orders that particularly are devoted to the poor or poverty wear black, and not all religious orders that wear black are devoted to the poor.
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### Author:  [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2018, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/19 "2018-04-16T02:03:49Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#):
>
> …Isn’t it more likely that [Johnny Cash] knew nothing about anarchists?
Why would that be? Cash grew up during the Depression, in rural Arkansas. I imagine his family felt little connection to politicians or owners of the means of production. I don’t mean to say anarchy is the same as communism, only that he probably heard economic and politic systems other than capitalism and representative democracy discussed as a child.
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### Author:  [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2018, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-connection-between-wearing-black-and-identifying-with-the-poor-and-the-downtrodden/812414/20 "2018-04-16T02:53:38Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#):
>
> Especially so when contrasted with the flashy dress of other star performers. And being able to tie in your signature style with some other significant thing you are trying to say is effective messaging.
Yes. I think everyone else in this thread is overthinking this issue. In Johnny Cash’s time, country music stars dressed like this:
[http://sportsandentertainmentnashville.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Jimmy-Dickens-portrait.jpg](http://sportsandentertainmentnashville.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Jimmy-Dickens-portrait.jpg)
www.anti.com/media/press/442fd0d3c8a4220b24a6423bd105954f.jpg
[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/90/4d/8d/904d8dcb6ea5b1b24fc968626cb2b01f–country-artists-country-singers.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/90/4d/8d/904d8dcb6ea5b1b24fc968626cb2b01f--country-artists-country-singers.jpg)
So Johnny Cash’s outfits made a sharp contrast with their simplicity. Even if he did not intend it at first, he later intended that to be sign a rejecting ostentatious displays of wealth and corresponding indifference to social injustice.
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