New TV miniseries about Hannibal

[john m roberts]

Back in the Black Power glory days of Afrocentrism everyone from Africa - any part of Africa - was black. The pharaohnic Egyptians were black, Cleopatra was black and, needless to say, Hannibal was black. He was from Africa, wasn't he? What do you want to bet this is how Halle Berry wants to play it?

Hannibal was a descendant of royalty, and the first people to begin Carthage were Phoenician nobles as I recall. He was more middle eastern/Mediterranean than anything. Still dark skinned, just not full blown black.

Not in the alternate universe of Afrocentrism. I can remember back in the 60s-early 70s seeing a T-shirt with a black Hannibal on it and the legend "Hannibal was a Black African." There was a whole series of them. One even claimed Beethoven was black.