Thanks James, I'm embarassed that I thought, growing up, that the "curse of Ham" was some weird old Southern view--preached as an expedient to keeping slavery going.

I now realize how hard it would be to give up the idea of whiteness as a mark of divine favor. Indeed, I think this transitioned into what Evangelicals saw as being "saved." It means to accept your status in the white church, an insular club that works for the group's betterment and longs to regain political power.