According to a just-released report, children in at least two school districts in the state of Texas are being taught the controversial passage of the Bible known as the "Curse of Ham" in their classrooms. This passage from Genesis 9:20-27 tells the story of how Noah got drunk, lay down naked with his bits out, and was "looked at" by his son Ham. Noah's punishment was a curse on Canaan, Ham's son, who would henceforth be "as a slave" to his brothers Shem and Japheth. It's this passage that had traditionally been used to justify racial discrimination and slavery.

The report also finds that Creationism is part of the curriculum in some schools, with some courses teaching students that the Bible “provides scientific proof of a 6,000-year-old Earth.”

All of this is a consequence of the law passed by the Texas Legislature in 2007, "encouraging" its public schools to instruct students about the influence of the Bible in both history and literature. There's more detail in this exasperated piece from Texas-native Michael Arceneaux, writing for Ebony, with more revelations about the use of Hanna Barbera Biblical cartoons, and films about "ancient aliens".