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Despite the frequent attempts to deny the existence of racism, racism continues to prove its existence.
The Netflix docuseries Queen Cleopatra was destined for notoriety.
Fury erupted as soon as it was announced that the famous African queen would be played by a Black woman.
The nerve of Jada Pinkett Smith and her production team casting a Black woman to play an African Queen.
Anytime a role perceived as a White role is played by a Black person, the resulting racism is deafening.
Yes, she was part Ptolemaic, which means Greek.
But she was part African.
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The Rotten Tomatoes reviews for the program confirm that prejudiced people are making their sad, pathetic voices heard.
The quiet part is not only being said out loud but being screamed to deafening decibels.
Examples of Rotten Tomatoes reviews:
“In the recreations, she’s played by the mixed-race actor Adele James, who was immediately targeted by racist trolls. The trolling was undoubtedly encouraged by the Egyptian government’s condemnation of the show. But they have a point; if they feel that there is enough evidence to prove that Cleopatra ‘had white skin’, then it’s a bit rude of a Netflix show to suggest otherwise, especially when it doesn’t have proof to back its claims.”
“Depicting Cleopatra as a sub-Saharan African in a documentary is historically inaccurate and can be seen as an insult to both Greek and Egyptian history.”
Talking about Adele James, who plays Cleopatra:
“The ugliest…actress playing the Greek-Egyptian Queen Cleopatra who is in reality was brilliant, talented and spoke 9 languages and everyone got attracted to her charm and beauty.”
(Judge for yourself how “ugly” she is).
As the docuseries points out, White people never had problems with White actresses, most notably Elizabeth Taylor, playing Cleopatra.
Cleopatra, an African queen.
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But let a Black actress play her, and Eurocentric White people are trying to find their lost minds.
It is hard to make sense of controversy about a Black actress playing an African queen.
An African queen.
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Yes, she had mixed ancestry.
She could have been olive-skinned.
She could have been brown-skinned.
She could have been dark-skinned.
One thing we know for certain.
She damn sure wasn’t Caucasian.