Is anyone else tired of hearing the word “woke” being hurled as an insult without context? This would be where the listener is left to guess at the underlying objectionable behavior? I hear the word being uttered by those who are clearly attempting to insult. It seems to be a catch-all disparagement requiring little thought by the speaker, which, in most cases, would be beyond their ability.
Fox News wrote an article (yes, I read them too) that defined woke as anyone who is “alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice.” This was reported as a shift from the previous definition of being “well-informed and up-to-date.” They went on to explain that the changes were brought about by “AAVE” described as African American Vernacular English. They attribute its origin to a 2008 rap song titled "Master Teacher" by Erykah Badu who repeatedly used the line “I stay woke.” An even earlier reference and interesting use of the phrase was in a New York Times article, If You’re Woke, You Dig It, published May 20, 1962. The link to that article is below.
The term woke became entwined with “cancel culture” in the minds of many conservatives. While none of the assigned definitions of “woke” are derogatory, in the minds of those who use it as an insult it seems to be a reference to anyone who might be concerned with racial inequalities and injustices. That inference is red meat to a racist and they get the not-so-inside meaning of the slander.
To me, those who use “woke” as an insult are just lazy. If you object to something, just spell it out. Come out of your racial closet and tell us where you truly stand. Just make sure your sheets are cleaned and pressed.
[postscript] The NYT article of May 20, 1962, that is linked is an interesting time capsule of that period. That was 60 years ago. My 1962 was spent as a junior in a totally segregated Florida high school when Miami still had Colored and White water fountains and in many stores, they would have four bathrooms separating the sexes and races. Are we “woke” yet?
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