ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Curse of Ham

The "Curse of Ham" is an idea from the Bible, where God punishes a man named Ham by giving his son, Canaan, dark skin as a sign that he must be a slave. This idea has been used to justify slavery and racial prejudice throughout history. In modern times, most people do not believe that God cursed Ham or any of his descendants, and instead reject racism.