Light is a spectrum of electromagnetic waves.

Our eyes translate certain wavelengths of light into specific colors. White light, such as the light from the sun, looks white to us because it contains wavelengths of the whole visible spectrum. A colorful object absorbs certain wavelengths and reflects others. Black objects absorb all wavelengths of light. This is the reason why on a sunny day, black asphalt gets much hotter than lighter colored concrete.

Chlorophylls, for example, do not absorb between 500 and 600 nm and therefore they reflect light of this wavelength, making them appear green.

Have a good look at the solar spectrum. Visible light actually comprises a narrow range of wavelengths, from about 390 to 700 nanometers!

If you look at the wavelength spectrum from the sun, it becomes obvious why we can only see a portion of the wide range of electromagnetic waves. The visible light overlays with the main flux of the solar spectrum from the sun. Living beings have evolved to utilize or detect visible light; the peak of the solar spectrum.