The US racial or ethnic classification "black" refers to people with all possible kinds of skin pigmentation, from <answer>the darkest through to the very lightest skin colors</answer>, including albinos, if they are believed by others to have West African ancestry (in any discernible percentage), or to exhibit cultural traits associated with being "African American". As a result, in the United States the term "black people" is not an indicator of skin color or ethnic origin but is instead a socially based racial classification related to being African American, with a family history associated with institutionalized slavery. Relatively dark-skinned people can be classified as white if they fulfill other social criteria of "whiteness", and relatively light-skinned people can be classified as black if they fulfill the social criteria for "blackness" in a particular setting.
What type of skin pigment does "Black" refer to?
the darkest through to the very lightest skin colors