Kevin Hart’s comedy tour stop in Cairo cancelled amid backlash over ‘Afrocentric’ comments
“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?” Hart allegedly stated.
Kevin Hart’s scheduled show in Cairo, Egypt was reportedly canceled this week following the comedian’s alleged controversial statements claiming ancient Egyptian kings were Black.
Egyptian management group R Productions released a statement on Monday saying that “local logistical issues” forced them to call off what would’ve been Hart’s debut event in the country, per Middle East Eye.
“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 company shared via Facebook.
According to the Middle East Eye, Hart sparked an uproar of criticism for alleged statements in which he took an “Afrocentric” stance regarding Egyptian history, claiming that the ancient civilization was historically ruled by Black African royalty.
“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?” Hart allegedly stated.
In response to the alleged statement, a wave of dissenting views from Egyptians on Twitter ensued, many of them calling for the cancellation of Hart’s scheduled show, per the outlet.
Per the report, tweets condemning Hart’s alleged comments included one from a user who claimed that followers of Afrocentrism “want to steal and attribute Egypt’s civilization to Africans and tell modern Egyptians that we are occupying Egypt from them. We must all participate in the campaign to cancel Kevin’s concert.”
Hart also faced backlash for investing in an animated series produced by Black Sands Entertainment that reportedly promotes some Afrocentric views.
Afrocentrism is a thought movement centering Black Africans in historical analyses, as reported by Middle East Eye.
Some Afrocentrists reportedly argue that Arab invaders displaced Black Africans from power in ancient Egypt, and thus present-day Egyptians do not hold claim to the land, according to the outlet.
The present-day country, located in northeast Africa, has previously been claimed by empires including Greek, Roman and Arab.
Hart, 43, is in the midst of his international “Reality Check” tour, which includes stops in the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, according to his website.
R Productions said in its statement following the Cairo show’s cancellation that it is asking for fans’ patience as the group continues to “work with the TicketsMarché team to make sure that all the refunds are met in the shortest time possible.”
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