An event hosting the black comedian and actor Kevin Hart in Nasr City, Cairo on February 21st was cancelled as a result of alleged comments that referenced “black Egyptians,” Al-Monitor has reported.
Reportedly Hart had said, “We must teach our children the true history of Black Africans when they were kings in Egypt and not just the era of slavery that is cemented by education in America. Do you remember the time when we were kings.”
#CancelKevinHart trended on Egyptian social media after the afore-mentioned comments were made in December. Egyptian nationalists took offense to the comments denying the claim that the ancient Egyptians were black.
The race of the ancient Egyptians remains much-contested thousands of years later. The theory that the ancient Egyptians were black which was first put forward by the Senegalese historian Chiekh Anta Diop has been a bone of contention ever since. According to eminent Egyptologist Stuart Tyson Smith, ancient Egypt was multi-ethnic with race and skin colors ranging from dark-skinned Nubians and lighter-skinned Libyans and Egyptians.
R Production, an Egypt Event Management company, that was managing the event put up a message on social media explaining why the cancellation took place.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share with you, due to local logistical issues, the cancellation of our Kevin Hart event scheduled for February 21st, in Cairo” the statement says. “You have always shown us continuous support in all our events and for that we’re grateful. In the meantime, we are asking for your patience as we work with the TicketsMarché team to make sure that all the refunds are met in the shortest time possible.”
“It is our dream to create the best experiences for all of our clients and ensure that Egypt is placed on the international map at the highest possible standards. We will continue to work towards that dream every day.”
“Again, thank you for your continuous support and understanding.”
