Noah: A Basis for Black Pride

Because all humanity has its origin in Adam and the three sons of Noah (Gen. 9:18–19; Acts 17:26), this is an appropriate starting point for gaining a proper biblical basis for racial identity. And because we all stem from the same root, it is absurd for any group to claim superiority over another. It was God’s intention to reestablish the human race through the three sons of Noah; therefore, God legitimized all races over which each son stands as head and over which Noah presides as father. This is especially true since the Scripture says that God blessed Noah and his sons, and the command to repopulate the earth was comprehensive and equally applied to each of them (Gen. 9:1).

Each son is associated with nations of peoples, as is recorded in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10.11 Black people, then, as all other races, can take pride in the fact that it was God’s intention that we exist, survive, and function as nations of peoples.

One particularly informative verse is 1 Chronicles 4:40, which indicates that Hamitic people living in Canaan positively contributed to community life, productivity, and social well-being: “They found rich and good pasture, and the land was broad and quiet and peaceful; for those who lived there formerly were Hamites.” Here, we have a biblical foundation for appropriately placed black pride.

When one examines the biblical data, it becomes distinctively clear that black people have an awesome heritage. To support a basis for black pride in the Bible, all we have to do is look at blacks who made outstanding contributions to biblical history.

SOURCE: Evans, Tony. Oneness Embraced: A Kingdom Race Theology for Reconciliation, Unity, and Justice, pp., 129-30.