It’s Black History Month! Black People in European History #6

It's Black History Month! Every day I will post something that shows the deep and rich history of Black people in Europe, so no one ever again questions why Black actors should be cast in all the films, plays, and shows about European history or based on fictionalized European history like Lord of the Rings and The Witcher.

February 6: The court of Frederick II Hohenstaufen, Holy Roman Emperor, 1194-1250. Frederick was ambitious and, modeling the Church’s claim to represent all of humanity, styled himself as the rightful secular ruler of everyone across the globe. To that end, it was important to him to staff his court with diverse retainers and officials, and ensure that his iconography depicted diversity. This was such a feature of his court that a fraudster once used Black retainers as "proof" that he was the real Frederick II. This is a fragment of a fresco from the Basilica San Zeno Maggiore in Verona, painted c. 1230, depicting Frederick II receiving representatives from his empire. Cast Black actors!