let us reflect on the roots of racism the slave trade and colonialism which led to anti colonial struggles the formation of the organisation of african unity oau and the african union au and the passage of the charter for african cultural renaissance the slave trade and colonialism did not completely deprive the people of african descent of their identity and african national consciousness their christianisation and the accompanying racism in church and state institutions during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries catalysed the reawakening of african national consciousness this led to the secession