We see and hear it a lot, but what does ‘woke’ really mean? The people who use it as an insult are labeling themselves
I only realized I was “woke” when the right-wingers started throwing it around as an insult. Once I realized what they meant, I also realized they weren’t branding me as much as themselves.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “woke” as: aware, especially of social problems such as racism and equality. To me, “woke” means you care about the well-being of all people — regardless of their race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc.
Therefore, to be “anti-woke?” Well, I guess they are against that. No, I know they are against that. They are racist and misogynistic. I think they’ve made a big boo-boo by fixating on “woke.” It’s now best known as a negative political buzzword used to describe anything deemed too liberal or progressive, yet by labelling someone as ‘woke’ they end up labelling themselves.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act,” which leverages severe penalties meant to brutally chill conversations about racism, gender inequality and LGBTQ+ people.
“Woke” first emerged in the United States in the 1940s from the word “awake” and was used to describe someone who is well-informed on issues of social injustice — particularly racism. In its original use, it meant being alert to the specific discrimination and systemic harm suffered by African Americans.
The resurgence of the term happened around 2014 during the Ferguson protests after Michael Brown was killed. Black Lives Matter activists started using “stay woke” to talk about police brutality and systemic racism. It spread through Black Twitter, then got picked up by white progressives showing solidarity with social justice movements.
By the late 2010s, it had expanded to cover sexism, LGBTQ+ issues, and pretty much any social inequality you can think of.
And that’s when conservatives started using it as an insult. And thus have labelled themselves.
There are things that I, as a white person, do not worry about. I do not worry about people assuming I am a criminal if they happen upon me on the street in a hooded sweatshirt. I do not worry about whether my doctor understands my medical issues. I do not worry about whether my children will be treated fairly in school.
Basically, I worry about only making my way in a world that I believe will treat me fairly.
That, in a word, is privilege. Because unlike me …
The Black man who has to behave very carefully during a traffic stop to avoid getting shot or tased has to worry.
The Black woman who has to wait in long lines to vote in Georgia has to worry.
The Asian woman who gets continually asked, “Where are you from, you know, really?” has to worry.
The Hispanic family that’s lived here for 25 years but must continually prove they’re citizens has to worry.
Being “woke” means being conscious of the various forms of oppression that exist in society, and actively seeking to address them.
I’m proud to be “woke.” And I’m going to stay that way.
America and democracy are teetering right now. Stay “woke.”
Van Carter of Sioux Falls is a retired broadcast journalist and environmentalist who published a green website for 15 years.
Photo: public domain, wikimedia commons
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