His birth name, Schwartz, is derived from the German word schwarz, which means black. Black's father died at age 39 due to a head injury apparently suffered in an assault and allergic reaction during subsequent surgery. His parents divorced when he was three years old his mother, Jill, later came out as a lesbian. He grew up in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, where he attended Hillsborough High School. Black was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jill and Robert Schwartz, a store owner and an executive, respectively.
