How might the shift from religious to secular thinking make the individual more important?

Religion promotes equality and also reminds people, that temporal things, such as money or 'social status' are not important. Therefore, many religious people resign from being rich and do not take part in 'rat race'. Secular people very often do not have anything against being rich or competing, they also concentrate on themselves (not on prayers and promoting equality).

The  pan-african movement  was an "emotional, cultural, psychological and ideological  movement  that began among the  african  dispora in the western hemisphere, for a closer  purpose, so that  african  people could feel secure, attain political, economic as well as psychological power visa vis other races or world regions" .