Why is Kevin Hart cancelled in Egypt? Afrocentric meaning explored as comedian loses gig

Comedian Kevin Hart recently lost his comedy show in Cairo that was scheduled for February 21, 2023. The cancelation announcement was made in an official statement by Egyptian event organizers, R Productions.

The organizers mentioned that the show was canceled due to “local logistical issues.” They also asked attendees to be “patient” and assured them that authorities are working with the TicketsMarche team to send all the refunds “in the shortest time possible.”

The canceled performance was part of Kevin Hart's Reality Check 2023 worldwide tour and would have marked his debut in the country. It was in December 2022 that the comedian first announced his first gig in Egypt and said he would be performing at the Cairo Indoor Stadium.

However, the announcement was met with mixed reactions as several Egyptian citizens and social media users attempted to boycott the show due to Kevin Hart’s past Afro-centric comments about ancient Egyptian history.

According to Ahram Online, Hart allegedly said that the ancient Egyptians were African-Americans:

“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?”

At the time, Egyptian actor Youssef Othman also pointed out that Hart had allegedly invested in an Afrocentric animation series by the Black Sands Entertainment company.

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What is the meaning of Afrocentric?

The term Afrocentric is used to define the ideology of Afrocentrism, a cultural and political movement that focuses on the history of people of African descent.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word Afrocentric is derived from Africa or the Africans and emphasizes the contributions of Africans and African culture in the development of Western civilization.

Afrocentrism believes that African history and culture began in ancient Egypt, which is known as the birthplace of civilization.

As per Britannica, adherents of the ideology claim that Egypt presided over a “unified Black Africa” until its technologies and ideas were stolen by Europeans and the record of their accomplishments was hidden.

Afrocentrists reportedly argue that African and other non-Caucasian groups were dominated by Europeans through slavery and colonization and hence European culture is the exact opposite of the efforts made by non-Europeans to achieve self-determination.

Afrocentrism believes that people of African descent should develop an appreciation of the achievements of traditional African civilizations. It also argues that renewed attention to the culture can help African-Americans psychologically remember that their own culture has a rich and ancient heritage.

In addition to highlighting the past, the ideology also promotes the idea of preserving and elevating contemporary African American culture as manifested in language, art, music, dance, cuisine, and clothing.

The terms Afrocentrism, Afrocology, and Afrocentricity were reportedly coined by African-American scholar and activist Molefi Asante in the 1980s.

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Kevin Hart’s canceled Egypt show leaves internet divided

Kevin Hart’s canceled Egypt show left internet divided (Image via Getty Images)

On February 20, 2023, Egyptian event organizers R Productions announced that Kevin Hart’s first-ever comedy gig in Cairo, Egypt, has been canceled due to “local logistical issues.”

However, many social media users claimed that the cancelation occurred due to the comedian’s part Afrocentric comment that led to calls for a boycott of his show last December.

News of Kevin Hart’s show getting canceled also went viral online and left netizens divided. Some took to Twitter to support the decision and continued to call out the former:

Meanwhile, others expressed disappointment over the decision and defended Hart online.

Afrocentricism has long been a major topic of debate in Egypt. While some adherents of the ideology believe in the concept, some Egyptians claim that the approach points to the erasure of a unique Egyptian identity.

However, the majority of Egyptian historians and Egyptologists believe that it is difficult to ascertain the racial profile of ancient Egypt as the country underwent several invasions by its neighbors through the course of history.