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Black royals say Hollywood erased their existence. They're fighting to change the whitewashed narrative.
Getty Images, Alyssa Powell for Business Insider
Six African royals spoke to Business Insider about the lack of representation in Hollywood.Black royals have existed around the world for millennia.They say Hollywood should prioritize projects with historical context.If I were to say "royal," chances are it would evoke an image of the predominantly white British royal family.
Yet the concept of royalty is so much larger than the Windsor line, dating back to the first Queen Elizabeth and the Tudor Dynasty. It stretches geographically around the world.
While Hollywood is telling more diverse fictional royal stories — season three of "Bridgerton" returns in May, for example — the entertainment industry still falls dramatically short when it comes to telling authentic Black royal stories.
Sierra Leone's Princess Sarah Culberson, Nigeria's Princess Keisha and Prince Kunle Omilana, and Ethiopia's Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Princess Ariana, and Prince Joel spoke to Business Insider about this lack of representation — and what should be done to improve it.
Misinformation and an erasure of Black royals
The royals who spoke to BI said this whitewashed view of royalty comes from a dearth of representation in media and a lack of education in schools.
Mainstream TV shows and movies that depict the true history of Black royal families are few and far between.
And while movies about fictional Black royals exist — "The Princess and The Frog" (2009), "Black Panther" (2018), and the latest "The Little Mermaid" (2023) — Hollywood still isn't doing enough to educate viewers that Black royals exist in the real world, according to Nigeria's Princess Keisha Omilana.
Halle Bailey as Ariel in "The Little Mermaid."Disney
Keisha is an American model and entrepreneur who is married to Prince Adekunle "Kunle" Adebayo Omilana. Keisha and Kunle do not live in Nigeria and are not intricately involved with royal duties within the country.
Still, in the Yoruba Kingdom of Nigeria, he's the crown prince of the Arigbabuowo ruling house of the crown royal dynasty Ipetu Ijesa.
There are countless royal families in Nigeria, and the exact number of monarchs is unknown, the BBC's Nduka Orjinmo reported in 2020.
In the Yoruba region where Prince Kunle is from, royal families are referred to as ruling houses, which traditionally produce obas, a hereditary title equivalent to king, according to a 1992 research paper on the Yoruba tribe published by the Immigration Refugee Board of Canada. There are hundreds of obas, who act as representatives and advisors for their communities, the paper states.
Although Nigeria's monarchs haven't had constitutional power since 1963, their descendants "serve as the local custodians of law and order," The Guardian's George Osodi reported in 2016.
HRH Princess Keisha Omilana.Fernando Catala
Speaking to BI, Keisha said misinformation surrounding African royalty is paired with constant comparison to white royals, particularly the British royal family.
"Coming from the American standpoint, the British monarch is the most prominent in terms of press and world recognition — they compare everything to it," she said.
This glorification of the British royals undermines the 28 other monarchies that are operating around the world — all with their own histories and cultures — including the three African monarchies in Morocco, Lesotho, and Eswatini, previously referred to as Swaziland.
"'Oh yeah, you are a prince?' They think that's your name."- Prince KunleThis number doesn't include countries that no longer have an active monarchy but continue to have royal families, such as Nigeria.
Prince Kunle, who said he has spent most of his adult life living in Europe, said people there don't understand that there is royalty in Africa, "even if you try to explain it to them."
"'Oh yeah, you are a prince?' They think that's your name," Kunle said.
Princess Keisha and Prince Kunle.David White
Princess Sarah Culberson of the Mende tribe in Bumpe, Sierra Leone, can relate to Kunle's experiences.
Writing in her 2009 memoir, "A Princess Found," Sarah said she was adopted by a white family living in West Virginia as an infant and that she didn't know her birth family were royals until she met them as an adult.
Sarah's grandfather was the Paramount Chief of the Mende tribe, a title given to those who rule over vast regions in Sierra Leone. They were previously referred to as kings, but the title was changed during the colonial British administration in 1896, Sarah wrote.
Sarah Culberson was 28-years-old when she discovered she was African royalty in Sierra Leone.Courtesy of Sarah Culberson
Sarah started using the title "princess" after discovering that her grandfather's status meant she was a Mahaloi, the equivalent of a prince or princess in Sierra Leone, according to the book. Speaking to BI, Sarah said her goal in using the title is to educate young people in the US about the existence of Black royalty.
"There are people who are like, 'Is that real, like a princess? Is that made up, or is your name just Princess?'" Sarah said.
"At first I was offended, but then I paused and thought to myself, 'You only know what you know.' If you never hear about something, it's like it doesn't exist," Sarah said.
Stop putting Black people into white royal narratives, says Prince Asfa-Wossen
Representation without accurate historical context is not enough to alter society's whitewashed view of royalty.
Major streaming platforms and film studios must be mindful of how this representation is carried out. According to Ethiopia's Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Hollywood should leave fictional royals behind and focus on the true history of African royal families.
Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate, photographed in 2007.Manfred Roth/ullstein bild via Getty Images
The prince, who's a descendant of the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, told BI that TV shows such as "Bridgerton" could be considered an "unhealthy" portrayal of Black history because it is not based on historical fact. Netflix did not respond to requests for comment.
The "Bridgerton" universe reimagines Britain's Regency era as a period where non-white royals and nobility were openly accepted by society. But in reality, slavery was not abolished in the UK until 1833 — 13 years after the end of the Regency era — and its violent impact stretches well into this century.
India Amarteifio as Young Queen Charlotte in episode one of "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story."Liam Daniel/Netflix
"Bridgerton" and its spin-off prequel, "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story," were praised for casting Black and multiracial actors in roles traditionally given to white actors. Although some royals BI spoke to support this decision, Asfa-Wossen said it could lead to misinformation about the existence of African royalty.
"We have heroes of our own."- Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate"I would be able to give you 100 films they could make about Black culture and Black history," said Asfa-Wossen, a historian, author, and academic based in Germany.
"It's like they are telling us, 'Since you didn't have any heroes, we are so democratic and enlightened that we'll allow you to play our heroes.' We have heroes of our own."
Black royals are taking the issue on themselves
Major streaming platforms and production companies could follow the example of smaller entertainment firms, such as Old World/New World, a Los Angeles-based company that focuses on telling Black stories through TV, film, and books. The company was founded by Ethiopia's Prince Joel and Princess Ariana in 2017.
The couple told BI they are working on a TV pilot similar to "The Crown," using Asfa-Wossen's biography of the emperor (who is also Joel's great-grandfather) as inspiration. The project was temporarily paused in 2023 due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, Joel said, adding that work on the series is back on track.
Prince Joel and Princess Ariana of EthiopiaAntwon Maxwell.
And last year, their relative Yeshi Kassa made a documentary titled "Grandpa Was An Emperor," about the emperor's legacy which showcased the horrors some of the Ethiopian royals faced in prison after a military coup in 1974.
"People don't always associate Africa with royalty when we actually have the oldest monarchy in the world — in Ethiopia," Joel said.
As The Guardian's Ian Sansom wrote in 2010, it's believed that Ethiopia's monarchy dates back to the 10th century B.C., when the Queen of Sheba arrived at King Soloman's court to assess his knowledge and ended up sleeping with him.
According to "Kebra Nagast," a 14th-century Ethiopian epic novel, Sheba gave birth to a son named Menelik, who went on to become King of Axum, founder of the Ethiopian dynasty, The Guardian reports.
"The Black man in America, don't always consider that he was a victim. Tell him what he was before."- Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate
Meanwhile, Asfa-Wossen said educators are too often preoccupied with using slave narratives to recount Black history. But in order to portray Black royals as equal to their white counterparts, there must be a shift in perspective, he said.
"The Black man in America, don't always consider that he was a victim. Tell him what he was before. Tell him what he has to be proud of. Only then will you find equality," Asfa-Wossen said.
Keisha agrees. Speaking on a panel about Royal Representation, hosted by BI in February 2023, Keisha said many children are brought up to believe that African history began with slavery rather than with royalty — and it's time to flip the narrative.
"That's what I really wish, that everyone knew that we as Black people were royals, and we were beautiful in the beginning. That's exactly how we started," she said.
I got my dream job at Apple on my fourth attempt. Here's why I left the 6-figure job after only 2 years.
cienpies/Getty Images
Corey Griffin landed a job as a software engineer at Apple after showcasing his side hustles.He worked for Apple Music but left to pursue his business this year.Griffin said he left because he wanted more control over his schedule to spend time with his kids.This is an as-told-to conversation with Corey Griffin, a 31-year-old former Apple employee and entrepreneur from Los Angeles. Business Insider has verified their employment and income. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I started coding when I was 14. I made animations for games and learned how to make my own website for my games.
I studied computer technology at college. While studying, I worked freelance for record labels, helping them make their marketing websites.
In 2014, I was hired by an agency to make marketing websites after college. There, I learned software engineering.
I knew I wanted to work for Apple or another Big Tech company, but I felt like I was at a disadvantage because I didn't get into software engineering before college or go to a school like Stanford or Harvard.
I tried to make up for it by working as a software engineer for many different companies and getting a lot of experience, including Rotten Tomatoes, Vox, and Shopify.
I found my niche working in marketing engineering, which included SEO implementation, making logo generators and domain name generators.
I freelanced on the side, building marketing websites and doing graphic design. I started my own media company, CG3, and launched a directory for Black-owned businesses and a service similar to Linktree called Hyper Link.
In January 2019, I launched a free teleprompter product called teleprompt.me, which I later renamed to Speakflow. I turned it into a subscription service, and it gained over 1,000 subscribers in a year from 2020 to 2021.
I applied for a job at Apple 4 times
I landed a job as a software engineer at Apple in August 2021. I'd applied three times before.
Having lots of side projects helped me land the job.
Most of my side projects are now inactive, but, at the time, I was able to showcase them on my résumé and talk about them in my interview. One of the interviewers had heard of Speakflow, which was still doing well.
A lot of my work in previous jobs was under an NDA, so I couldn't discuss them in the interview. I could show my wide skillset through my side projects, including graphic design, animation, marketing, and coding. I also had clients in a range of industries, such as the music industry and small technical clients. We talked a lot about that in the interview process.
I left my Apple job after 2 years
I worked on software for the Apple music team, including radio and podcasts. I started fully remote and then worked a hybrid pattern that included going to our office in Culver City, California.
I really enjoyed the work, and the office was cool. I worked hard to get that job.
I never imagined I'd leave within two years.
I wanted more freedom over my schedule
I have two kids, and I wanted to have complete control over my schedule.
I figured I could probably replace my Apple salary with my media business, especially Speakflow, which made six figures in revenue in the last year. The side project had been live in the background while I was at Apple.
I'd had some family members who were sick and others who passed recently. Mortality was on my mind. Working for myself full-time was a big life goal. It seemed like the right time to make the jump.
I left Apple in December 2023 to pursue my media business full-time, particularly the Speakflow product. I wasn't sure it was the right decision and it felt risky, but I wanted to take a gamble on myself.
I have so much more flexibility now. I can drop my kids off at school every day and pick them up.
Malaysia might add a casino to boost troubled $100 billion mega-development Forest City
Marielle Descalsota/Business Insider
Malaysia may add a casino to Forest City, a mega-development that has turned into a ghost town.The casino, which would be the second in the country, could rejuvenate the struggling property.The move may attract Singapore tourists, who pay a daily tax to gamble at home.Malaysia's Forest City mega-development started with big ambitions and big money.
Announced in 2006, the luxury housing project in the south — easily accessible from Singapore — would house 700,000 people and feature a waterpark and hotels. The whole project cost its developers $100 billion.
But, eight years after construction began, only a few thousand people live there. The project has turned into a ghost town — and a major liability for its developer, which is facing sizable financial issues elsewhere.
Now, Malaysia is in talks with several high-profile investors to add a casino to Forest City, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday.
The southeast nation's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with the heads of a Malaysian property development firm and a resort company at Forest City last week. A representative of Malyasia's billionaire king, Ibrahim Iskandar, also attended, the people told Bloomberg.
King Ibrahim owns more than 20% of Forest City as part of a joint venture with Chinese real estate developer Country Garden, Bloomberg reported. The king took the throne in January for his five-year term and said last month he is ready to "begin my real way of ruling." The other partner, Country Garden, is facing significant financial issues from China's floundering property market and had nearly $200 billion in liabilities at the end of last June.
The two tycoons who met with the prime minister last week own some of Malaysia's most prominent businesses. One of the companies is Genting Group, a resort and theme park operator that owns Malaysia's only casino, located in a central Malaysian hill town. Genting operates other casinos in Singapore, the US, and the UK. The other, Berjaya Corp., runs hotels and develops properties, among other businesses.
The casino talks are in early stages and it is unclear if Prime Minister Anwar will allow such a business. Malaysia has a Muslim-majority population and those following Islam are prohibited from gambling.
Forest City did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.
Expensive, empty apartments
A casino — which would only be the second in Malaysia — could help struggling Forest City.
While advertised as a "popular short-haul tourist destination," the complex, which includes apartments, hotels, a waterpark, and a mall, only sees a few dozen visitors each day, Business Insider reported in April. Those who do come are typically on a budget and don't spend much.
As of last year, only about 15% of the planned property had been completed, local media reported.
The corridor in one of the condominiums in Forest City.Marielle Descalsota/Business Insider
Most apartments look like they've never been lived in, a BI reporter who visited earlier this year observed. They're almost twice the price of other apartments in the city, and wealthy people prefer to buy single-family homes, BI reported in April.
A new casino could attract tourists from Singapore. Singapore's government disincentivizes gambling by taxing residents 150 Singapore dollars, or $110, to enter local casinos. Singapore is connected by a one-kilometer bridge to the state of Johor, where Forest City is.
Cities around the world are similarly looking to add casinos to boost tourism.
The United Arab Emirates, another majority-Muslim country, is betting big on gambling. Earlier this year, it launched a federal-level gaming authority, and plans are in place to create an "Arabian Strip," an Emirati version of the Las Vegas Strip of hotels and casinos on the island of Al Marjan.
New York City is also looking to cash in. In April last year, the state government authorized up to three casino licenses for downstate New York, which includes the city and surrounding counties.
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