1Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Simeon was given a nickname, Niger. Niger is the Greek version of a Latin name that means dark or black. As a result of this nickname it is assumed that Simeon was a black man of African origin.1 It is possible that this Simeon came from Cyrene (Matthew 27:32).2
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.