History in the Making
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The concept of race, particularly the construction of blackness and anti-blackness, emerged during the Medieval and Early Modern periods around the Mediterranean and its surrounding cultures. It is a concept of religious origin, in that it first depended on the worldview of the Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam— and their interpretations of the narratives surrounding the Biblical figures Cain and Ham. This established the “mark” of black skin as a curse placed by the Abrahamic God that made up the foundational justifications for racial hierarchies and the subjugation of black Africans. The convenient narrative framed blackness as inherently inferior and divinely ordained for servitude. The latter provided not only a moral justification but, at times, a moral imperative for the practice of racialized slavery, specifically in the Americas. These theological constructs evolved well into the nineteenth century, blending religious, cultural, and later scientific justifications to reinforce racial hierarchies. Religious justification, while powerful and pervasive, acted primarily as moral cover rather than root cause, ultimately proving to be unnecessary to continue in maintaining the status quo of black subjugation.
Recommended Citation
Phillips, Margaret
(2025)
"The Black Curse: The Curse of Ham and the Mark of Cain as Justification for Black Subjugation,"
History in the Making: Vol. 18, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making/vol18/iss1/5