2000 – African Renaissance Campaign Launches at OAU Summit

On May 21, 2000, African heads of state gathered in Lomé, Togo, to promote the African Renaissance campaign during the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit. This initiative emphasized cultural rebirth, economic development, and the reclamation of African identity in the 21st century. Though the OAU was transitioning into the African Union, May 21 marked the beginning of a new ideological phase—one rooted in Afro-optimism and unity. The African Renaissance campaign sought to counter narratives of failure with a vision of prosperity through regional integration, education reform, and tech investment. Inspired by earlier Pan-African thinkers like Cheikh Anta Diop and Thabo Mbeki, this effort called for Africans to shape their own future. May 21 thus symbolizes a modern pivot point in Black international politics—where cultural pride and strategic governance combined to reimagine the continent’s role on the global stage. It remains a touchstone for visionary African policy.