African Queens (African Queens) is a historical documentary series produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband, Will Smith. The program focuses on exploring the lives of various queens from Africa.
Season one, which premiered in 2022, delves into the story of the Angolan warrior queen Njinga through expert interviews and dramatic reenactments.
Continuing its success, on April 12, the show released the trailer for its second season, featuring the iconic Queen Cleopatra of ancient Egypt. However, the production has faced criticism for its casting choices, being described as “historically inaccurate.”
In the trailer, a casting choice depicts Queen Cleopatra as a Black woman with curly hair. The character is portrayed by Adele James, a British actress of mixed African descent.
This announcement has stirred controversy in Egypt. Many are outraged because the film contradicts historical records stating that Queen Cleopatra was of Macedonian Greek descent.
Zahi Hawass, a former Egyptian antiquities minister, has publicly criticized the film. According to him, Cleopatra was Greek, meaning she was likely light-skinned, not Black. He emphasized that the only known Egyptian ruler with dark skin was a Kushite king from the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC).
“Netflix is attempting to distort historical facts by propagating false narratives and misrepresenting the origins of Egyptian civilization as Black,” he stated, further urging for a halt to the streaming of the show.
On April 16, Egyptian lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a lawsuit demanding the cancellation of Netflix’s show. He accused the program of violating Egypt’s media laws and claimed it unfairly centers on a Black narrative while overlooking the historical context.
Currently, the trailer for African Queens: Queen Cleopatra has garnered over 2 million views on YouTube within just seven days of its release. Netflix has since disabled commenting under the video after encountering backlash from viewers.
A petition to cancel the show has gained over 3,000 signatures on Change.org. Previously, another petition had attracted over 62,000 signatures but has since been taken down.
“For the umpteenth time, I must clarify that Queen Cleopatra was not Egyptian. She was Greek. Cleopatra VII was light-skinned and of Macedonian descent, just like all rulers from the Ptolemaic dynasty,” a user commented.
“Netflix is once again promoting a distorted historical figure as Black. This time, it’s Queen Cleopatra. She has been turned into a Black woman despite her being light-skinned – a Macedonian/Greek,” another user wrote.
Egyptian singer Somaya Elkhashab also entered the debate, tweeting: “Portraying Queen Cleopatra as a Black woman is a blatant attempt to erase the true history of Egypt and is a disservice to its legacy. Misrepresenting a Macedonian queen only perpetuates racial divides.”
Alongside this, there has been a segment of the audience advocating for the portrayal of Cleopatra as a Black queen.
The most iconic representation of Queen Cleopatra in film history remains the portrayal by British actress Elizabeth Taylor in the classic blockbuster Cleopatra (1963), where she was depicted as a light-skinned woman.
Three years prior, plans for a new film about the famous queen starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot sparked similar controversies regarding cultural appropriation and representation. Many argued that the role should be reserved for an actress of Egyptian or African descent. These discussions continue to highlight the ongoing issues of representation in Hollywood.
In response, Gal Gadot stated, “Cleopatra was Macedonian, which is a fact if you want to know. We are looking for an actress of Macedonian descent suitable for portraying Cleopatra. But that actress has yet to emerge, and I remain fascinated by the Egyptian queen.”
Source: Daily Mail
