Q&A Home > C > Curse of Ham

Is it true that the blacks are cursed because Noah had cursed Ham the father of the Africans?

I would like to shed some light on the story of Ham to show you that skin color has nothing to do with the curse of Ham. Basically, Noah the Father of Ham got drunk, and fell asleep and became uncovered. His second son Ham saw him naked and went and told his two brothers Shem and Japheth who promptly covered their father without seeing his nakedness. The Holy Bible says, "So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren" (Gen 9:24).

So Noah did not curse Ham (who is the ancestor of the African people) but he cursed Canaan, the fourth son of Ham. Ham's first son Cush (Genesis 10:6) is the father of the black people. His name, according to Webster's Dictionary, means "of African origin". Cush is also known as "Ethiopia".  

As a final point, the Holy Bible says in the Holy Book of Genesis 9:1, "God blessed Noah and his sons." Ham, being one of them was blessed by God and that is why Noah could not curse him. He could not curse Cush the first born son of Ham either because traditionally, the first son always inherited his father's blessings (see Genesis 25:29-34 and 27:1-4). This means that not only are black people not cursed, but they are actually blessed! Noah's curse eventually caused the Canaanites' extermination after Israel had come in from Egypt, as historical records show.

In any case, our loving Lord Jesus Christ came for everyone of us black or white or any color. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Also in the Holy Book of Col 3:11 we read "where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."