Recently, with Gal Gadot being chosen to be Cleopatra in a new movie, the controversy about her race has been unearthed. Cleopatra has a proved Macedonian Greek heritage by her father's side, and it seems to be that the great mistery about it is the origin of her mother.
I wouldn't mind the actress chosen to be white, black or of multiracial roots , as fiction has its poetic licenses, neither do I think that black and white are valid labels for the Ancient World.
But I can't stand for falsification of history, and would like to know your opinion as historians and history enthusiasts: what would be Cleopatra's racial background today? And does it matter?
I'm going to page /u/cleopatra_philopater for this, as she is very knowledgeable on that queen. Meanwhile, this answer of hers may be of interest to you.
Applying the modern concept of 'race' backwards in time is a bit iffy, shall we say. More can always be said on the matter; for the moment, you may be interested in this answer by u/cleopatra_philopater (which is different to the one already linked; this one focuses on a different area) and this Monday Methods post by /u/commiespaceinvader.
Greetings. Not to discourage further responses, but do check these older answers while you wait :
Most people see Cleopatra as an Egyptian, but she was actually Greek. What is her real story and how did we come to the legends about her? by u/cleopatra_philopater
How would an Egyptian in Alexandria at the turn of the millennium have perceived race and skin tone? by u/cleopatra_philopater
Pre-History of "Race" and Racism
Special thanks to u/scarlet_sage for finding the third link.
Hope this helps.