But melanin is a shield for it, and the more melanin the darker the skin. As black people usually have a very dark skin, they have a lot of melanin and thus are way more protected against the sun than the average 60 yo fat guy that's sunburnt red
To answer yours question Melanin adds a resistant factor to it, but the actual sunburn is caused by actual damage at the cellar level from UVA and UVB rays.
Think of Melanin more like sunblock in that it extends the amount of time before noticeable damage to the sun will happen. While the time for sun damage to accumulate to be what you would call a sunburn might vary from person to person, everyone is still susceptible to UV damage.
Anybody can get a sunburn. The melanin in the darkest skin tone only gives a baseline SPF of around 10. While they are far less likely to get burns, it's still possible and when they develop skin cancer it's usually diagnosed in a later stage with a negative prognosis.
Sunburns are radiation burns, and doesn't have to include red skin to be present.
It works the same way it works for anyone else who is in direct sunlight for too long. Black people can get melanoma too.
"All skin tones are susceptible to sun damage. Sunburn will cause darker skin tones to go darker, and the skin will feel hot and painful to touch. While darker skin tones are less likely to burn, almost anyone can get sunburnt or develop skin cancer."
Hahaha, yeah. The black kids at the summer camp I volunteer for always think it's funny when I'm chasing them with sunscreen in my hand too. Luke seriously though, y'all, have you ever burnt the tops of your ears?? Trust me, don't find out.