Continuing with the Celebration of Black History Month, once again we salute one Carter Godwin Woodson, without whom there would be no Black History month. The important thing to remember is that things which happened in our history, affect things that will happen in our future. On last week we discussed what is known as the "Curse Theory". First of all what is a theory? It is abstract reasoning or speculation; it is also an assumption or guess based on limited information or knowledge. This alleged curse theory which was started by White Bible believing Christians who spent millions of dollars to get scholars from major publications to interpret twist and stretch the meaning of Scripture. A question was asked: If these scholars were required to submit solid evidence in a court of law to prove that Ham, the father of the Black Race, had committed an act so horrible that it resulted in a curse on him and his descendents, could they do it? So a mock trial was held and permit me to present to you the transcripts from that trial.

Defense attorney: Your Honor, before we call our first witness, the defense would like to admit as evidence, two exhibits, Exhibit A, are many Scripture references that we will refer to throughout this case, and Exhibit B is the New Strong’s Concordance of the Bible. The question that has baffled commentators for centuries, Why was Canaan cursed and not Ham? The testimony of my key witness and my only witness will provide that answer for us. Your Honor I would like to call Mr. Ham to the witness stand. County Clerk: Will Mr. Ham please take the witness stand? County Clerk: Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in the presence of God? Ham: I do. County Clerk: Please be seated. Defense Attorney: State your name please. Ham: My name is Ham, I’m the third son of my father Noah (Gen. 5 :32). Defense attorney: Ham, you have heard the testimony from some of the most brilliant scholars of our times and they have all testified that you did something to your father that dishonored him, so he cursed you and your descendants, is that true? Ham: No sir, it is not true. I did nothing to my father. It was my youngest son Canaan that was cursed by my father[Noah], not me (Gen. 9:25). Defense attorney: In addition to their testimony, a number of other people have testified that God turned you and some of your descendants black for what you did. Is that true? Ham: well sort of, Defense attorney: what do you mean sort of, did He or didn’t He.

Ham: It is true that God is responsible for my color, but I didn’t do anything wrong to become black, I was born Black not cursed Black, The definition of my name is Black, "sun hot" or "man with dark skin". My parents always told me they thought I looked unique as a baby. You see my father was 500 years old when he started making babies. When I was born I was darker than my other two brothers, so my parents felt that Ham (meaning dark skin) was the most appropriate name for me. Defense attorney: What do you mean darker than your other two brothers? What color were they? Ham: They were brown. You see we lived in a warm climate and it didn’t rain for 120 years while my father preached his sermons on repentance (Gen. 6:3). So you might say that everyone was a little darker than normal with our diet and 120 years of constant sunlight. Defense attorney: So if I understand you correctly, are you trying to say you were not turned Black as a result of what you did?

Ham: Right. Sir, let me say again for the record. I did no wrong, neither was I turned Black. I was born black and had been black for over 100 years when the incident took place in my father’s tent, May I also add something while we are on this subject so we can have a better understanding of the times that I lived in? Defense attorney: By all means, Ham: When my brothers and I were just boys, my father’s father Lamech (Gen. 5:28-29) told us stories about how the world was started many years before we were born. He told us that his distant father Adam lived in a beautiful area called the Garden of Eden. It was a place where the sun was always shinning and it never rained (Gen. 2:5). It too was a very warm climate. The sun along with the deep dark rich soil, made it possible to grow every type of plant on earth (Gen. 1:29). Grandfather said it was from the dark soil that God made Adam. (Gen. 1:27 & 3:19). Grandfather also said that the garden included the entire country of Ethiopia (Gen. 2:13), a country known as "The Land of Black People". So I guess everyone at that time had dark skin, including Adam.

Defense attorney: They say you and your sons are the fathers of the black race or the people of Africa, is that true? Ham: I guess so. Defense attorney: What do you mean, you guess so? Judge: Counselor where is this line of questioning going? Defense attorney: Your Honor, there has been much testimony over the years that the Black race are the descendants of Ham, and as a result of the curse on Ham they were enslaved in America. I’m trying to identify his descendants to determine whether or not this charge is true. Judge: You may proceed. Defense attorney: You stated "you guess so" when asked whether you were the father of the Black race. What is your response? Ham: In your country (America), the Department of Commerce through the Bureau of Census, has maintained that if the Father is Black, the children regardless of their physical features, will be Black. I’m Black, my name means Black, so I guess my children are Black according to your Government.

Defense attorney: Perhaps you can tell the court the names of your children and a few well known countries that they and their descendants are credited with finding> Ham: My sons are Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan (Gen.10:6), and I’m proud to say, that they have produced some of the greatest countries and civilizations of all times. Among them include Egypt, Ethiopia, Babylon, and cities like Nineveh. Defense attorney: So your children produced Babylon Egypt and Ethiopia. Ham: Yes, and might I add that the names Cush, Ethiopia and Egypt all mean Black and none of these countries or individuals to my knowledge, have ever been cursed because of what took place in my father’s tent Defense attorney: Let’s deal with what actually happened that day in the tent. But before we do, let me ask you a question. What happened in the tent has been debated and has been a focus of controversy for several hundred years. In all of these years, has anyone ever asked to hear your side of the story?

Ham: No sir. This is the first time I have ever had the privilege of telling my side of the story; outside of my immediate family who knows I was the only eyewitness to what actually took place (Gen. 9:22). Defense attorney: Why do you think no one has asked to hear your side of the story? Ham: I guess no one really cared to hear the truth. Defense attorney: Explain that to the court, in your opinion what is the truth? Ham: Sir it is not an opinion. What I’m about to say is fact. I was an eyewitness. Even the Bible say that I was the one who SAW something (Gen.9:22). Note it didn’t say that I did anything to my father or my mother. It only states that I was an eyewitness to what actually happened. Defense attorney: If you didn’t do anything, who did? And what exactly did they do? Ham: It was my youngest son Canaan.

Defense attorney: What did Canaan do? Did he see you father without any clothes on? Ham: No. I guess what has confused people all these years it that nudity had nothing to do with it. Defense attorney: Then what did the Bible mean when it said you saw your father’s nakedness? Ham: The term fathers nakedness has nothing to do with nudity. It means to have sex. The Bible used term like knew her (Gen.4:1), went in unto her (Gen.16:4), and father’s nakedness to refer to people having sex. Defense attorney: Are you trying to say that Canaan your youngest son had sex with your father? Ham: No, this has nothing to do with sex with my father. Defense attorney: If as you said the tern father’s nakedness means having sex, and it has nothing to do with having sex with your father, are you trying to confuse the court? Ham: Sir the term father’s nakedness means having sex with my fathers wife. Defense attorney: Are you telling the court that Canaan had sex with your mother. Ham: Yes sir, that’s why my father said cursed be Canaan (Gen.9:25).

Defense attorney: What evidence is there to support your claim that the term father’s nakedness means having sex with your father’s wife? Ham: Moses wrote the definition of father’s nakedness in Leviticus 18:8. It say thy fathers wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness. And in Leviticus 20:11 says, "And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness. Defense attorney: Mr. Ham, it was a terrible thing that your son did. I hope something like this will never happen again. Ham: Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only time something like this has happened Defense attorney: You mean you have knowledge of other incestuous relationships? Ham: Yes sir, In Genesis 19:30-38, Lots daughters got their father drunk and had sex with him. In Genesis 35:22 Jacobs oldest son Reuben had sex with his father’s concubine wife Bilhah. And in Genesis 38:1-26 Judah had sex with his daughter-in-law Tamar. These incidents along with ours, is what inspired Moses to write this law.

Defense attorney: Many scholars thought that you, Canaan’s father should be responsible for your son’s sins, that’s why they included you in the curse. How do you feel about this? Ham: Lot wasn’t cursed for his daughter’s sexual sin. Jesse wasn’t cursed for David’s sexual sin, and Jacob wasn’t cursed for Reuben’s sexual sin. Why would God want to curse me for my son’s sexual sin? Defense attorney: Is there anything you’d like to tell the court before the jury gets the case? Ham: There is no Biblical reference of God or anyone else cursing a person and turning them Black. There are Biblical references, where skin color was involved the curse always turned them White, never Black. Num. 12:1-10 Moses’ sister Miriam was turned White. In II Kings 5:1-17 Elisha’s curse on his servant Gehazi, not only turned Gehazi White but all of his future generations as well.

These same Bible scholars knew this to be Scriptural but they will never admit that the White race is the cursed race. And now my brothers and sister it’s time for you to render a verdict. Is Ham innocent or is he guilty? Has the Black Race been cursed or has it been falsely accused? Many of our people have spent much time in the courtroom. And not all of the verdicts have been just. Many black men and Black women have been imprisoned on evidence that was not true. It took a lot of faith for us to hang on in there and not give up. And we as a people learned to use that faith in the Black Church. The Black Church gave W.E.B. DuBois his first scholarship to go to school. It Gave Booker T. Washington his first position as a school principal. It gave the old Negro Baseball League a place to eat every Sunday after their ball game. It gave America Rev. Andrew Young, the Rev Benjamin Hooks, the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 60% of the Black Colleges. With faith in God and trust in one another we can turn this world upside down. In the Church there is unity, we are one body and Jesus is the head of that body. In Him we can make. (courtroom)