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Kevin Hart’s successful run on the African continent hit a major snag as he had to cancel his show in Egypt over the uproar of his “Afrocentric” comments on the nation’s history.
According to reports, the cancellation of Hart’s first-ever show slated for February 21st was announced by the local event management R Productions. “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 read. But many observers note that it was the comedian’s alleged comments on the presence of Black people in Egypt’s ancient history which led to a swarm of comments on social media demanding the show’s cancellation.
The comments surfaced online during the month of December. “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,” he was reported to have said in December, adding “Do you remember the time when we were kings?” According to the Middle East-focused news site Al-Monitor, the source for the quotes hasn’t been found.
The reported comments drew huge criticism from people from Egypt and others of Arabic descent who accused Hart of “Blackwashing” their past or having a “BLM” agenda as expressed on R Productions’ Facebook page after the show’s cancellation announcement. Others have criticized Hart for his investment in the Black Sands Entertainment company, which produces comic books and other products including animated shorts with an Afrocentric theme. The situation also prompted racist tweets aimed at Hart, which were responded to in turn by those pointing to research pointing out the diversity found in unearthed mummies from the region.
To this point, Hart has enjoyed great success with comedy shows on his international tour, highlighted by a show in Pretoria, South Africa where he surprised the crowd by bringing out fellow comedian and South African native Trevor Noah. He also enjoyed a sold-out show in Saudi Arabia in recent days.
