In politics, “woke” has many definitions and sometimes no definition at all. Listen to a political speech or commentary on a cable news station, and you may be left to wonder what being “woke” or “wokeism” really means.
So what is wokeism? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, wokeism is another word for wokery and refers to the acts and opinions of people who are especially aware of social problems including racism and inequality.[1] A March 2023 article in Forbes.com focused on an interview of an author promoting her book. The author argued that our youth are being poisoned with leftist theories about race and gender and devoted a portion of the book to the defining the term woke. But when asked during the interview to define woke, the author was seemingly unable to do so.[2]
An October 2020 article in vox.com noted that the concept of wokeness dates to the early 20th century, referring to the idea of Black consciousness “waking up” to a new realty and recognizing potential dangers and threats in a racially polarized community.[3]
In 2014, the term woke gained popularity with the start of the Black Lives Matter movement in reference to social and racial justice issues.[4]In a January 2023 article in abcnews.go.com, the author notes that woke, politically, in the Black Community means that someone is informed, educated, and conscious to social injustice and racial inequality.
Why is this important?
Why do we need to know this?
In the current political climate, wokeness has evolved into being a term used as an excuse for what is wrong with our country. A 2023 newyorker.com article states that some use the term to justify the reason behind issues ranging from deadly mass shootings to lower military recruitment.[5] It is also a term used by some who are against progressive values.[6]
But what are these progressive values? According to a November 2021 article from the Pew Research Center, the Progressive Left has liberal views over a range of issues, including the size and scope of government and issues of immigration and race. The Progressive Left also supports sizeable tax increases for large corporations and high-income households.[7]
By contrast, a conservative politician recently defined “woke” as a “form of Cultural Marxism” or “basically a war on the truth.”[8] Yet another politician in a speech to college students cautioned that American freedom is under attack and that there is a “pernicious woke agenda designed to control the American peoples and destroy the American dream.”[9]
The term has morphed into an undefined and even divisive word. Often, in the political primary season, the term is used as a trigger to elicit an immediate and visceral response from a particular group or faction in support of an agenda. But will the term woke be used as frequently in a general election, where the candidate will need to appeal not only to a certain group, but to a wider electorate?
Whether woke has positive or negative connotations, in America, we are entitled to the freedom of our political beliefs. While we may not always agree with each other, we must respect each other. Social justice, or the fair treatment of individuals and social groups[10] is an admirable goal.
Whatever your political beliefs, social awareness or just plain awareness is a good thing. That awareness enables us to understand and appreciate each other. When we understand each other and our different histories, we are a stronger nation. When we understand history, we are better equipped to address future problems. While some truths may be inconvenient or uncomfortable, exposure to those truths are necessary to move forward. Education is key.
I suggest that anyone who uses the term in a speech or article, should then immediately define the meaning and context in which the term is used.
Be Informed
Be Engaged
Be Involved
[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/wokery
[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/03/16/anti-woke-author-who-cant-define-woke-goes-viral/?sh=5f54e05e5b3e
[3] https://www.vox.com/culture/21437879/stay-woke-wokeness-history-origin-evolution-controversy
[4] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/woke-conservatives/story?id=93051138
[5] https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/what-is-woke
[6] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/woke-conservatives/story?id=93051138
[7] https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/11/09/progressive-left/
[8] https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/4033266-desantis-defines-woke-as-a-war-on-the-truth-after-trump-said-people-cant-define-it/
[9] https://alumni.unc.edu/news/amid-cheers-and-boos-pence-warns-students-about-pernicious-woke-agenda/