Racism is the assumption that skin color reveals inherent human capacities, aspirations, and, for that matter, rights and privileges. The ideology of racism was promoted largely to justify the enslavement of Africans and the colonization of their homelands by European governments and merchants. The interests were originally economic, though supporters later broadened the arguments into scientific, religious, social, and other spheres.

Those who have studied African history would have discovered periods when Africans conquered and ruled other powerful nations and regions, including Egypt and the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. The Cushites from the region of present-day Sudan conquered and ruled over Egypt for close to 100 years during its 25^th dynasty, from 747 to 656 BC. This was during the period when Egypt was still a world center of civilization. The Moors from North Africa ruled over much of the Iberian Peninsula in southern Europe from AD 711 to 1492. The people who ruled Egypt and Europe could not have been uncivilized savages. In truth, Africa supplied many of the agricultural products Europe needed, as well as precious minerals and human capital.

Interestingly, European exploration around Africa peaked right at the end of Moorish rule over southern Europe, around 1492. Columbus’s first voyage to what became known as the Americas took place that same year. With Moorish rule ending, a freer Europe set out to explore new worlds.

It is reasonable to assume that racism has thrived on ignorance, naivety, and deception. There is ample evidence that neither Africans nor any other people are inferior to any other group of humans. All people belong to one race, the human race. Reconciliation begins with awareness and acknowledgment of racism as a crime against humanity.

March 25, 2026, will go down in history as the day humanity exercised the boldness to acknowledge this wrong as an indictment of its collective conscience and dignity. On this day, the United Nations General Assembly formally declared the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement to be the “gravest crime against humanity.”1

This acknowledgment must lead to a resolve to think differently about fellow human beings as people of equal worth, deserving equal opportunities. In particular cases—such as Europe’s offenses against Africa—the offenders must follow repentance with confession and a plea for forgiveness. The offended must also be willing to forgive. Repentance is validated by restitution. Restitution must be holistic, countering the negative effects and losses that resulted from racism. No degree of restitution could ever adequately compensate for the negative impacts of slavery and colonialism. Nevertheless, genuine restitution demonstrates that the offender’s repentance is sincere. Beyond restitution, we should embrace the Great Commandments (Matthew 22:37–40) and the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12). These shared commitments should make us all better human beings pursuing God-centered oneness and unity.

Generally, reconciliation involves a process that moves from awareness and acknowledgment of the offense to the offender’s repentance and confession. The offended should offer forgiveness. Beyond forgiveness, restitution is required. The process is crowned by a commitment to prevent recurrence. This is best done when all parties agree to follow the Great Commandments: to love God and people (Matthew 22:37–40).

Prof Delanyo Adadevoh
Chairman, AFREG Global Board
Senior Vice President
Campus Crusade for Christ

1 United Nations General Assembly. (2026, March 25). Declaration of the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity (Resolution A/RES/80/250). https://docs.un.org/A/RES/80/250