Was Cleopatra Black?
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Netflix docu-drama depicting Cleopatra as black draws backlash from former Egyptian official as online petition calls for cancellation
An online petition calling for the cancellation of an upcoming Netflix documentary about Cleopatra, Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, has received tens of thousands of signatures amid accusations that it is “falsifying history”by casting a black actress in the primary role.
The Berlin Cleopatra, a Roman sculpture of Cleopatra wearing a royal diadem, mid-1st century BC (around the time of her visits to Rome in 46–44 BC), discovered in an Italian villa along the Via Appia and now located in the Altes Museum in Germany.
The trailer for ‘Queen Cleopatra,’ which debuted online earlier this week ahead of its May 10 release date, was accompanied by a YouTube description that claimed that “Cleopatra’s heritage has been the subject of much academic debate, which has often been ignored by Hollywood.”
However, according to the originators of the online petition featured on the website Change.org, Hollywood has obscured the true debate and replaced it with ‘Afrocentrism’ – which has been described as “centering black American cultural identities in Africa and African history.”
Afrocentrism is a pseudoscience,” the petition reads. “They are still attempting to falsify history.” The description of the petition explains that Cleopatra was born in Alexandria, Egypt and was of Greek descent. “She was NOT black,” it adds, but cautions that people should “not use this in any way, shape or form to be racist or prejudice[d] against black people.”
“This is no fuel for nationalism either,” it says. “Only for the truth.”
Change.org reportedly removed the petition on Friday.
The documentary drew strong condemnation in Egypt. Former Egyptian Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass known for his documentaries on Ancient Egypt described the documentary as “falsifying facts.”
Hawass added that in recent years a trend emerged, led by black Americans and blacks in South America, claiming that the Egyptian civilization is of black origin.
He stressed that such claims were completely false.
The black civilization has no connection with the Egyptian civilization, Hawass said, pointing out that the black civilization did not rule Egypt except in the twenty-fifth dynasty during the era of the Kingdom of Kush, i.e. at the end of the ancient Egyptian civilization.
Hawass pointed out that Egyptian temples contain drawings of Egyptian kings. These sketches are depictions of men striking their enemies.
The enemies are depicted as either African, Nubian, Libyan or Asian, and all of them look very different in nationality from the Egyptian kings.
“Netflix is trying to stir up confusion to spread false information that the origin of Egyptian civilization is black,” Hawass continued.
Hawass is calling to take a stand against Netflix platform.
Cleopatra, who was also of Macedonian lineage, ruled in Egypt for a period of 21 years between 51-30 BCE before her death at the age of 39. She spoke Koine Greek as her mother tongue but was the only Ptolemaic leader to learn and regularly use the Egyptian language. Speculation remains as to the exact cause of her death but it is generally agreed by historians to have occurred by her own hand.
The British actress Adele James plays the lead role in the documentary, which was produced by Jada Pinkett-Smith, wife of the actor Will Smith.
Source Netflix/Egypt Today/RT
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