78. Was Simon or Cyrene a white man or a black man?

He is believed to have been a native of North Africa, and hence black as was Philip's convert, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Apollos, the great preacher of Alexandria.

The early history of Christianity furnishes many illustrious examples of men and women of color who suffered and died for the faith.

Onesimus, one of Paul's most devoted converts, was probably black, and there were many blacks holding exalted posi­tions in the Christian Church in Africa, the whole northern countries of which, in the early ages, were Christian.