I theorized that it may have some origin in the nature of night versus day, but certainly many usages of black as a color of evil have racial connections (or at least connotations). Before the 'discovery' of Africa by Europeans (and certainly before its colonization/enslavement), was black used similarly to mean evil? Or does the racial origin predate even that supposed starting point? I know this question may well be impossible to answer definitively, but I thought I should ask the experts.
Even in modern culture I would have to say that the connection between darkness and evil, mystery, or sombre mood is not a racial connotation in the vast majority of cases.
The "dark side of the force" is assumed to be the less nice version just from its name. No one is thinking about James Earl Jones.
"The Dark Kight Rises" is on account of Batman's costume and his mysterios nature, nothing racial about it so far as I can tell.