Jump to content

Black armband

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Black arm band)
Richard Norris Wolfenden wearing a black armband, c. 1905.

A black armband is an armband that is coloured black to signify that the wearer is in mourning or wishes to identify with the commemoration of a family member or friend who has died.

In sport, especially association football, cricket, and Australian rules football, players will often wear black armbands following the death of a former player or manager.[1][2]

Black armbands are also worn by uniformed organizations, such as the police, fire services or military, at the funeral or on the death of a sovereign.

[edit]

Use in protest

[edit]

In 1965, five students in Des Moines, Iowa, protested silently against the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands in school. The resulting suspension and legal challenges led in 1969 to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, which held that the students' armbands did not create a "substantial disruption" and therefore were constitutionally protected under the First Amendment.

At the 2003 Cricket World Cup in Harare, two players from the Zimbabwe national cricket team wore armbands made of black electrical tape to symbolically mourn "the death of democracy" in Zimbabwe. This protest was praised abroad and condemned locally, and both men ultimately moved to the United Kingdom.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sunam, Ashim (2016-12-15). "History of black armbands and its use in sports including football, cricket among others". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  2. ^ "Why are England wearing black armbands for Boxing Day Test?". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.