Kevin Hart cancelled in Egypt over Afrocentric meaning: Comedian loses gig
5 min read
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A comedy show scheduled for February 21, 2023, by comedian Kevin Hart has been cancelled. Egyptian event organizers, R Productions, announced the cancellation in an official statement. According to the organizers, the show was cancelled due to “local logistical issues.” Attendees were urged to be patient and assured that authorities are working with TicketsMarche to process refunds as quickly as possible. Kevin Hart was set to make his debut in the country with the cancelled performance as part of his Reality Check 2023 tour. Initially, he announced he would perform at Cairo Indoor Stadium in December 2022 for his first gig in Egypt.
Afrocentric comments Kevin Hart has made about ancient Egyptian history have prompted some Egyptians and social media users to boycott the show. Apparently, Hart said that the ancient Egyptians were African-Americans: We must teach our children the real history of Black Africans in Egypt when they were kings, not just the slavery era cemented by American education. We used to be kings once, don’t you remember? The Afrocentric animation series by Black Sands Entertainment was also allegedly invested in by Hart at the time, according to Egyptian actor Youssef Othman.
"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" Kevin Hart #Kevinhart
#MassCountry pic.twitter.com/dq4pMxgJAZ— Chirau TV (@ChirauTv) February 23, 2023Advertisement
What Does The Term Afrocentric Mean?
Afrocentric refers to the ideology of Afrocentrism, which focuses on the history of people of African descent. The word Afrocentric comes from Africa or the Africans and emphasizes the contributions of Africans and African culture to Western civilization, according to Merriam-Webster. Afrocentrism holds that African history and culture began in ancient Egypt, which is considered the birthplace of civilization. Britannica reports that adherents of the ideology believe Egypt ruled over a “unified Black Africa” until Europeans stole its technologies and ideas.
According to afrocentrists, the slave trade and colonization dominated Africans and other non-Caucasian groups, so European culture is the opposite of non-European attempts to achieve self-determination. Afrocentrism advocates appreciating the achievements of traditional African civilizations among people of African descent. African-Americans can also benefit psychologically by returning to their own traditions by re-emphasizing the rich and ancient heritage of their own culture. The ideology not only focuses on the past, but also promotes the preservation and enhancement of contemporary African American culture as expressed in language, art, music, dance, cuisine, and clothing. Molefi Asante, an African-American scholar and activist, is credited with coining the terms Afrocentrism, Afrocology, and Afrocentricity in the 1980s.
A Controversy Over Kevin Hart ‘Afrocentric’ Views Led To The Cancellation Of His Show
Kevin Hart’s comedy show in Cairo, scheduled for 21st February, has been cancelled due to “local logistical issues”, according to the event’s organizers, R Productions. Hart’s performance was to mark his first stop on his Reality Check 2023 world tour and was scheduled to begin. In a Facebook post, the management company stated: It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that the Kevin Hart event scheduled for February 21 in Cairo has been cancelled due to logistical issues. Additionally, we are asking for patience as we work with the TicketsMarché team to ensure that all refunds are handled as quickly as possible. Last December, Hart announced he would perform at the Cairo Indoor Stadium for the first time, but the news was met with mixed reactions, as Egyptian social media users called for the show to be cancelled due to the comedian’s previous Afrocentric views regarding Ancient Egyptian history. Youssef Othman, an Egyptian actor, mentioned to his followers online that Hart invested in the Black Sands Entertainment company’s Afrocentric animation series. Ahmad Younes, another media personality who campaigned against the show being held in Egypt, posted on Facebook to express his joy at the cancellation of the show, saying: As one of the thousands of people who wanted this event to be cancelled, I cannot express how happy I am.
Because of this, our words are powerful, and we are proud to be Egyptians because no one can take our history and culture away from us. Due to “local logistical issues,” Kevin Hart’s first-ever comedy show in Cairo, Egypt, was cancelled on February 20 by Egyptian event organizers R Productions. In social media, however, many users claimed that the cancellation was a result of the comedian’s part Afrocentric comment last December that led to boycott calls. In addition to Kevin Hart’s show being cancelled, the news also went viral online. Twitter users supported the decision and called out the former on the site. On the other hand, others expressed disappointment with the decision and defended Hart. In Egypt, afrocentricism has long been a contentious issue. Some Egyptians contend that the approach points to the erasure of a unique Egyptian identity, while others agree with the concept.
Egypt is presently run by ruling class majority Arabs. Just like a note Africa and they practice anti-blackness Egypt is black Africa and they’re upset because Kevin Hart speak the truth.#PanAfrican.#Egypt .#BlackTwitter. pic.twitter.com/fgspqFHXPI
— Don Salmon (@dijoni) December 21, 2022
So they canceled Kevin Hart’s first comedy show in Egypt due to his “Afrocentric” views. All he said was that the ancient Egyptians were a black civilization & that black people had a prestigious history before slavery. Where’s the lie?? pic.twitter.com/WXuBC1ll6D
— Josh Patterson (@HashtagBars) February 24, 2023
Egypt cancelled Kevin Hart’s show bc his views are too Afrocentric ?
— Biggiie Shortiie 🤪💜 (@Thababybrat) February 23, 2023
What kinda twilight zone shit is actually happening right now? 😭
#Kevin_Hart#Afrocentric
— Mohamad hasanaen (@Mohamad25325809) February 22, 2023
When the Afrocentric ancestors tried to conquer Egypt, they were taught a harsh lesson, and so do the Egyptians with anyone who thinks of occupying their land.
We took them as slaves
أجدادك حاولوا يحتلوا مصر 🇪🇬
و دي كانت النتيجة 👇🏿 pic.twitter.com/5bpzYsK218
