What is 'Woke’?
Woke comes from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). It means to be alert to racial prejudice and discrimination against the Black community.
Did you know that the term "stay woke" dates back to the 1930s?
Back then, it had the same basic meaning referring to awareness of social and political issues affecting Black people. It was first mentioned in music in a recording by Lead Belly. Decades later, Erykah Badu would mention it in her music in the 1990s
Fast forward to 2014, to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the birth of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. BLM activists raising awareness about the disproportionate police shootings of Black people popularized the term yet again.
It then exploded on Black Twitter and "woke" was more popular than ever with Black people fueling a new civil rights movement.
Not long after, it became somewhat of a meme and white people began appropriating the term to encompass issues unrelated to the Black struggle. As is typical when non-white terminology gets white-washed, it muddies the waters and makes defining it difficult for white people and a weapon for anti-Black racists.
This brings us to where we are today. Where the term is used as an anti-Black dog whistle among white conservatives and an all-encompassing social justice term for white liberals.
Meanwhile, the Black community is left wondering what the hell everyone is talking about. Let's be clear about something. If I see the way "woke" is used by conservatives as an anti-Black dog whistle, imagine how Black people must feel since the term is culturally specific to them. Political extremism has been around for a long time. But never have we seen the level of blatant hate we see in politics today.
That said, remember the true meaning of the language you use before using it. Because if not for well-meaning liberals attaching every issue under the sun to "woke," conservatives wouldn't be using it to attack Black culture.
This is on everyone. Try to do right.
Also, stop stealing things from other cultures.
Arturo is a writer, journalist, and publisher of The Antagonist Magazine. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you’d like to read more of Arturo’s work, join Medium here to support him directly.
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