‘The Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse’

A powerful new work by Jamaican author and public intellectual Norris R. McDonald, DIJ, is taking aim at one of the most insidious and enduring lies used to oppress Black people across the globe: the so-called Black Ancestral Curse.

Titled ‘The Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse: Religion, Race and the Psychological Legacies of Slavery’, this provocative and deeply researched essay confronts the historical and spiritual abuse of sacred texts that helped legitimise slavery, colonialism, and systemic racism.

“This is more than a critique – it is an act of intellectual liberation,” McDonald said. “The myth of a divine curse on Black people is not just false – it was fabricated to justify mass atrocities and to psychologically shackle generations of African descendants.”

The book pays special tribute to Professor Sheldon ‘Uwezo’ McDonald, a Caribbean legal scholar and revolutionary whose life and work inspired this essay. Drawing from Caribbean history, Pan-African philosophy, and biblical critique, McDonald examines how European empires - backed by religious institutions - constructed a theology of racial inferiority that lingers today in both church and state.

KEY TOPICS EXPLORED:

• The origins and misuse of the so-called “Curse of Ham” doctrine

• How religious institutions gave moral cover to slavery and colonisation

• The psychological legacy of spiritual indoctrination in Black communities

• Resistance through Rastafari, Maroon heritage, and African spirituality

• A poetic invocation of liberation in the included poem ‘DRUMS’

• A moving tribute to Prof. Sheldon ‘Uwezo’ McDonald and his legacy

“This essay is a celebration of Black excellence and a call to reject inherited shame,” McDonald noted. “Our ancestors were never cursed – they were targeted. And now it is time to reclaim the truth.”

Published by Afro Caribbean Riddims via Amazon KDP, ‘The Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse: Religion, Race, and the Psychological Legacies of Slavery’ is available now in paperback and eBook on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).