Ham is the son of Noah traditionally associated with African peoples in interpretations of Genesis's “Table of Nations.” Genesis 10 lists Ham's sons as Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
Those names are commonly linked with regions or peoples south and east of the ancient Israelites: Cush with Nubia or Ethiopia, Mizraim with Egypt, Put with a region often associated with Libya, and Canaan with the Levant. The chapter presents genealogical relationships rather than a modern scientific account of human ancestry.
Later interpreters used the so-called “curse of Ham” to justify racism and slavery, but Genesis 9 actually places Noah's curse on Canaan, not directly on Ham. Modern scholarship rejects attempts to use this ancient genealogy as a racial hierarchy or as a justification for slavery.