Politics and myths like the curse of Ham are natural allies in creating an ideology and moral justification for discrimination, enslavement, and colonial oppression.

The curse of Ham mythology is a persistent and deeply rooted part of our contemporary consciousness, manifesting itself in literature, film, politics, and popular entertainment. But what is the “curse of Ham,” and how did it take shape?

The Hamitic myth was used as a justification for the colonial endeavors of European countries in the late medieval period. This rhetoric traveled to the Americas and became a theological reasoning for the institution of American chattel slavery.

To begin a classroom discussion about the curse of Ham myth, undergraduates can consider what they know about stories and histories and what they understand as truth.