According to Wikipedia: “The word Cushi, also spelled Kushi (Hebrew: כושי) is a Hebrew term generally used to refer to a dark skinned person usually of African descent and was recently interpreted as being similar in meaning to the English word Negro. Initially, the word was used by Hebrew-speaking Jews to simply refer to individuals of African origin, or as a term of endearment for people with dark skin as in the case of Cushi Rimon.”
In modern Israel you hear the term “cushi mamzer” aka “black bastard.”
Historian Marc B. Shapiro writes: “I discussed Rashi’s understanding of the word Cushite, and how it is not to be taken literally. Ibn Ezra does take it literally (and still thinks that it refers to Tziporah). As with Rashi, he assumes that Cushites are not very attractive and explains that Miriam and Aaron, who spoke negatively about Moses, “suspected that Moses refrained from sleeping with Tzipporah only because she was not beautiful.” (Commentary to Num. 12:1).”
