Pauline Black was born Belinda Magnus on 23 October 1953 in Romford, Essex, to an Anglo-Jewish teenage mother and a Nigerian father, Gordon Adenle, a Yoruba prince who had come to London to study engineering. She was adopted by a white, middle-aged couple and given the name Pauline Vickers.

Black was not aware of her Jewish heritage until she was 42 when she traced her birth mother. She has spoken about her experiences growing up as a Black child in a white adoptive family, including the challenges of racial identity and belonging. Her autobiography, Black by Design: A 2-Tone Memoir (2012), explores her adoption, racial identity, and journey to reconnect with her roots.