Jump to content

Woke

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeWoke (disambiguation).
"Stay woke" redirects here. For other uses, seeStay Woke (disambiguation).

Refer to caption
Former US CongresswomanMarcia Fudgeholding a T-shirt reading "Stay Woke: Vote" in 2018

Wokeis anadjectivederived fromAfrican-American Vernacular English(AAVE) originally meaning alertness toracial prejudiceanddiscrimination.[1]Beginning in the 2010s, it came to be used asslangfor a broader awareness ofsocial inequalitiessuch asracial injustice,sexism,and denial ofLGBT rights.Wokehas also been used as shorthand for some ideas of theAmerican Leftinvolvingidentity politicsandsocial justice,such aswhite privilegeandreparations for slavery in the United States.[2][3][4]

The phrasestay wokehas been present in AAVE since the 1930s. In some contexts, it referred to an awareness of social and political issues affectingAfrican Americans.The phrase was uttered in recordings from the mid-20th century byLead Bellyand, post-millennium, byErykah Badu.

The termwokegained further popularity in the 2010s. Over time, it became increasingly connected to matters beyond race such as gender and identities perceived asmarginalized.During the 2014Ferguson protests,the phrase was popularized byBlack Lives Matter(BLM) activists seeking to raise awareness about police shootings of African Americans. After the term was used onBlack Twitter,wokewas increasingly used bywhite people,who often used it to signal their support for BLM; some commentators criticized this usage ascultural appropriation.The term became popular withmillennialsand members ofGeneration Z.As its use spread internationally,wokewas added to theOxford English Dictionaryin 2017.

By 2019, the term was being usedsarcasticallyas a pejorative among many on thepolitical rightand somecentristsin Western countries targeting variousleftistandprogressivemovements. Subsequently, terms such aswoke-washingandwoke capitalismemerged to criticize organizations who advertise their commitment to social justice for financial gain, also referred to as "performative activism".

Origins and usage

Wake up Ethiopia! Wake up Africa! Let us work towards the one glorious end of a free, redeemed and mighty nation. —Marcus Garvey,Philosophy and Opinions(1923)[3][5][6]

In some varieties ofAfrican-American English,wokeis used in place ofwoken,the usualpast participleform ofwake.[7]This has led to the use ofwokeas an adjective equivalent toawake,which has become mainstream in the United States.[7][8]

While it is not known when being awake was first used as a metaphor for political engagement and activism, one early example in the United States was the paramilitary youth organization theWide Awakes,which formed inHartford, Connecticut,in 1860 to support the Republican candidate in the1860 presidential election,Abraham Lincoln.Local chapters of the group spread rapidly across northern cities in the ensuing months and "triggered massive popular enthusiasm" around the election. The political militancy of the group also alarmed many southerners, who saw in the Wide Awakes confirmation of their fears of northern, Republican political aggression. The support among the Wide Awakes forabolition,as well as the participation of a number of black men in a Wide Awakes parade in Massachusetts, likely contributed to such anxiety.[9][10]

20th century

Folk singer-songwriterLead Bellyused the phrase "stay woke" on a recording of his song "Scottsboro Boys".

Among the earliest uses of the idea ofwokenessas a concept for black political consciousness came from Jamaican philosopher and social activistMarcus Garvey,[3]who wrote in 1923, "Wake up Ethiopia! Wake up Africa!"[3][6]

A 1923 collection of aphorisms, ideas, and other writing by Garvey also adopts this metaphor in the following epigram: "Wake up Ethiopia! Wake up Africa! Let us work towards the one glorious end of a free, redeemed and mighty nation. Let Africa be a bright star among the constellation of nations."[6][3]

Black American folk singer-songwriter Huddie Ledbetter, a.k.a.Lead Belly,used the phrase "stay woke" as part of a spoken afterword to a 1938 recording of his song "Scottsboro Boys", which tells the story ofnine black teenagers and young men falsely accused of raping two white womenin Alabama in 1931. In the recording, Lead Belly says he met with the defendant's lawyer and the young men themselves, and "I advise everybody, be a little careful when they go along through there (Scottsboro) – best stay woke, keep their eyes open. "[3][11]Aja Romano writes atVoxthat this usage reflects "black Americans' need to be aware of racially motivated threats and the potential dangers of white America."[3]

By the mid-20th century,wokehad come to mean 'well-informed' or 'aware',[12]especially in a political or cultural sense.[7]TheOxford English Dictionarytraces the earliest such usage to a 1962New York Times Magazinearticle titled "If You're Woke You Dig It" by African-American novelistWilliam Melvin Kelley,describing the appropriation of black slang by whitebeatniks.[7]

Wokehad gained more political connotations by 1971 when the playGarvey Lives!byBarry Beckhamincluded the line: "I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr. Garvey done woke me up, I'm gon' stay woke. And I'm gon help him wake up other black folk."[13][14]

2008–2014: #Staywoke hashtag

Through the late 2000s and early 2010s,wokewas used either as a term for literalwakefulness,or as slang for suspicions ofinfidelity.[3]The latter meaning was used in singerChildish Gambino's 2016 song "Redbone".[15]In the 21st century's first decade, the use ofwokeencompassed the earlier meaning with an added sense of being "alert to social and/orracial discriminationand injustice ".[7]

"Master Teacher", a 2008 song by the American singer Erykah Badu (pictured in 2012), included the termstay woke.

This usage was popularized by soul singerErykah Badu's 2008 song "Master Teacher",[8][12]via the song's refrain, "I stay woke".[13]Merriam-Websterdefines the expressionstay wokein Badu's song as meaning, "self-aware, questioning the dominant paradigm and striving for something better"; and, although within the context of the song, it did not yet have a specific connection to justice issues, Merriam-Webster credits the phrase's use in the song with its later connection to these issues.[8][16]

SongwriterGeorgia Anne Muldrow,who composed "Master Teacher" in 2005, toldOkayplayernews and culture editor Elijah Watson that while she was studying jazz atNew York University,she learned the invocationStay wokefrom Harlem alto saxophonistLakecia Benjamin,who used the expression in the meaning of trying to "stay woke" because of tiredness or boredom, "talking about how she was trying to stay up – like literally not pass out". In homage, Muldrow wrotestay wokein marker on a T-shirt, which over time became suggestive of engaging in the process of the search for herself (as distinct from, for example, merely personal productivity).[17]

"#StayWoke" hashtag on a placard during a December 2015 protest in Minneapolis

According toThe Economist,as the termwokeand the#Staywokehashtag began to spread online, the term "began to signify a progressive outlook on a host of issues as well as on race".[18] In atweetmentioning the Russian feminist rock groupPussy Riot,whose members had been imprisoned in 2012,[19][20]Badu wrote: "Truth requires no belief. Stay woke. Watch closely. #FreePussyRiot".[21][22][23]This has been cited byKnow Your Memeas one of the first examples of the #Staywoke hashtag.[24]

2014–2015: Black Lives Matter

A 2015 protest in St. Paul byBlack Lives Mattersupporters against police brutality

Following theshooting of Michael Brownin 2014, the phrasestay wokewas used by activists of theBlack Lives Matter(BLM) movement to urge awareness of police abuses.[3][25][24]TheBETdocumentaryStay Woke,which covered the movement, aired in May 2016.[26]Within the decade of the 2010s, the wordwoke(the colloquial,passively voicedpast participle ofwake) obtained the meaning 'politically and socially aware'[27]among BLM activists.[7][25]

2015–2019: Broadening usage

While the termwokeinitially pertained to issues of racial prejudice and discrimination impacting African Americans, it came to be used by other activist groups with different causes.[4]While there is no single agreed-upon definition of the term, it came to be primarily associated with ideas that involve identity and race and which are promoted by progressives, such as the notion ofwhite privilegeorslavery reparations for African Americans.[28]Vox's Aja Romano writes thatwokeevolved into a "single-word summation of leftist political ideology, centered on social justice politics andcritical race theory".[3]ColumnistDavid Brookswrote in 2017 that "to be woke is to be radically aware and justifiably paranoid. It is to be cognizant of the rot pervading the power structures."[29]Sociologist Marcyliena Morgan contrastswokewithcoolin the context of maintaining dignity in the face of social injustice: "While coolness is empty of meaning and interpretation and displays no particular consciousness, woke is explicit and direct regarding injustice, racism, sexism, etc."[2]

The termwokebecame increasingly common onBlack Twitter,the community of African American users of the social media platformTwitter.[15]André Brock, a professor of black digital studies at theGeorgia Institute of Technology,suggested that the term proved popular on Twitter because its brevity suited the platform's 140-character limit.[15]According to Charles Pulliam-Moore, the term began crossing over into general internet usage as early as 2015.[30]The phrasestay wokebecame anInternet meme,[16]with searches forwokeonGooglesurging in 2015.[4]

A woman draped in a rainbow flag and wearing sunglasses, standing with her back to the camera and holding a hand-lettered sign reading, "I [heart symbol] Naps But I Stay Woke"
Protester at a2018 Women's Marchevent in Missoula, Montana

The term has gained popularity amid an increasing leftward turn on various issues among theAmerican Left;this has partly been a reaction to the right-wing politics of U.S. PresidentDonald Trump,who was elected in 2016, but also to a growing awareness regarding the extent of historical discrimination faced by African Americans.[31]According to Perry Bacon Jr., ideas that have come to be associated with "wokeness" include a rejection ofAmerican exceptionalism;a belief that the United States has never been a truedemocracy;that people of color suffer fromsystemicandinstitutional racism;that white Americans experiencewhite privilege;that African Americans deserve reparations for slavery and post-enslavement discrimination; that disparities among racial groups, for instance in certain professions or industries, are automatic evidence of discrimination; that U.S. law enforcement agencies are designed to discriminate against people of color and so should bedefunded,disbanded,or heavily reformed; that women suffer fromsystemic sexism;that individuals should be able to identify with anygenderor none; that U.S.capitalismis deeply flawed; and that Trump's election to the presidency was not an aberration but a reflection of the prejudices about people of color held by large parts of the U.S. population.[31]Although increasingly accepted across much of the American Left, many of these ideas were nevertheless unpopular among the U.S. population as a whole and among other, especially morecentrist,parts of theDemocratic Party.[31]

Cardboard sign at a street demonstration reading "Stay Woke – Bin Off this Bloke" with a picture of Rupert Murdoch
Placard criticising media mogulRupert Murdochat an environmentalist protest inMelbourne,Australia in 2020

The term increasingly came to be identified withmillennials[15]and members ofGeneration Z.[32]Les Echoslistswokeamong several terms adopted by Generation Z that indicate "a societal turning point" in France.[33]In May 2016,MTV Newsidentifiedwokeas being among ten words teenagers "should know in 2016".[34][15]TheAmerican Dialect Societyvotedwokethe slang word of the year in 2017.[35][36][37]In the same year, the term was included as an entry inOxford English Dictionary.[38][7]By 2019, the termwokewas increasingly being used in an ironic sense, as reflected in the booksWokeby comedianAndrew Doyle(using the pen nameTitania McGrath) andAnti-Wokeby columnistBrendan O'Neill.[39]By 2022, usage of the term had spread beyond the United States, attracting criticism by right-wing political figures in Europe.[40]

2019–present: as a pejorative

By 2019,[41]opponents of progressive social movements were using the term mockingly orsarcastically,[3][42]implying that "wokeness" was an insincere form ofperformative activism.[3][43] British journalistSteven Poolecomments that the term is used to mock "overrighteous liberalism".[41] In thispejorativesense,wokemeans "following an intolerant and moralising ideology".[18]

United States

AmongAmerican conservativesand somecentrists,wokehas come to be used primarily as an insult.[3][28][43] Members of theRepublican Partyhave been increasingly using the term to criticize members of theDemocratic Party,while more centrist Democrats use it against more left-leaning members of their own party; such critics accuse those on their left of usingcancel cultureto damage the employment prospects of those who are not considered sufficiently woke.[28][44]Perry Bacon Jr. suggests that this "anti-woke posture" is connected to a long-standing promotion ofbacklashpolitics by the Republican Party, wherein it promotes white and conservative fear in response to activism by African Americans as well as changing cultural norms.[28][45] Such critics often believe that movements such as Black Lives Matter exaggerate the extent of social problems.[42]

Among the uses by Republicans is theStop WOKE Act,a law that limits discussion of racism in Florida schools. A program of eliminating books by LGBT and black authors from schools was conducted by the Florida government and byvigilantescalling themselves "woke busters".[46]

Linguist and social criticJohn McWhorterargues that the history ofwokeis similar to that ofpolitically correct,another term once used self-descriptively by the left which was appropriated by the right as an insult, in a process similar to theeuphemism treadmill.[47] Romano compareswoketocanceledas a term for"'political correctness' gone awry "among the American right wing.[3] Attacking the idea of wokeness, along with other ideas such as cancel culture andcritical race theory,[48]became a large part of Republican Party electoral strategy. Former PresidentDonald Trumpstated in 2021 that theBiden administrationwas "destroying" the country "with woke", and Republican Missouri senatorJosh Hawleyused the term to promote his upcoming book by saying the "woke mob" was trying to suppress it.[43]According toUSA Today,the termwokehas been "co-opted byGOPactivists ".[49]

Woke mind virusis aneologismpopular withright-leaningand conservative commentators, especially in the United States. The term is used to refer to anything which is perceived to be closely connected to left-wing politics, with emphasis on actions or ideas believed to threatenfreedom of speech.[50]The term was first popularized in 2021 whenElon Muskbegan using it onTwitter.[51][52]Florida governor and former presidential candidateRon DeSantishas frequently used the term.[53][54]

Asia

InIndia,the term is used as a pejorative byHindutvaactivists andHindu nationaliststo refer to the critics of the Hindu nationalist ideology who are deemed as "anti-Hindu" by the Hindu nationalist organizations such as theRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.[55][56] The term is also synonymous with leftism in news headlines[57]and is commonly used in social media circles by critics ofsecularismin India.[58]

Canada

The term is widely used in Canada as in the United States to describe overly progressive politics.[59]During a debate in 2023 on theLaw Society of Alberta's 2020 adoption of a rule which made certain Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training courses onIndigenous Canadianhistory obligatory, a lawyer from theJustice Centre for Constitutional Freedomswrote an op-ed arguing that the course was a form of "wokeness".[60][61]

France

The phenomenonle wokisme(sometimes translated 'wokeism'[62]) has also seen use inFrench politics,particularly since the2022 French presidential election.[63][64][65][66]Much of the opposition tole wokismesees it as an American import, incompatible with French values.[62]Then-education ministerJean-Michel Blanquerestablished an "anti-woke think tank" in opposition to what is perceived as an export from the English-speaking world.[62][67][40]According to French sociologist and political scientistAlain Policar[fr],the term "woke" which originated from African American communities to describe awareness ofsocial injustices,has been used pejoratively by French politicians from the former republican left, the right and the far right to label individuals engaged inanti-racist,feminist,LGBT,andenvironmentalmovements.[68]This derogatory usage gave rise to the noun "wokisme", suggesting a homogeneous political movement propagating an alleged "woke ideology".[69][70]

French philosopher Pierre-Henri Tavoillot characterizes "wokeism" as a corpus of theories revolving around "identity,genderandrace",with the core principle of" revealing and condemning concealed forms ofdomination",positing that all aspects of society can be reduced to a" dynamic of oppressor and oppressed ", with those oblivious to this notion deemed"complicit",while the" awakened (woke) "advocate for the" abolition (cancel) of anything perceived to sustain such oppression ", resulting in practical implementations such as adoptinginclusive language,reconfiguring educationor deconstructinggender norms.[71]

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, anti-wokeness discourse is driven primarily byConservative Partypoliticians and right-wing media outlets.[72]Conservative papers such asThe Daily TelegraphandDaily Mailcommonly publish articles critical of what they deem to be "woke".[citation needed]The Mail on Sundaypublishes an annual "Woke List" criticising public figures for perceived "virtue signalling".[73][better source needed]The right-wing television channelGB Newswas proclaimed at its founding to be explicitly "anti-woke".[72]Its onetime chairmanAndrew Neilhas presented a regular segment on the channel entitled "Wokewatch", which aims to be a counter-voice to "woke warriors".[74]

The term "woke" is often used as a pejorative by conservative figures.[40]During the run-up to the2024 general election,the governing Conservative Party attracted criticism for attempting to create aculture warbased on the woke concept.[75]While promoting her bookThe Abuse of Powerin 2023, former Conservative prime ministerTheresa Maydeclared herself to bewoke,in the sense of "somebody who recognizes that discrimination takes place".[76][77]

In a survey byYouGov,73% of Britons who used the term said they did so in a disapproving way, 11% in an approving way and 14% neither used it in an approving or disapproving way.[78]ColumnistZoe Williamswrites inThe Guardianthat public discourse aroundcyclinghas become "the perfect microcosm of the wokeness split in all its forms", with anti-cycling voices portraying cyclists as a "lunatic fringe".[79]

Europe

InHungary,Hungarian politicianBalázs Orbánstated that "we [Hungary] will not give up fighting against woke ideology".[80]

InSwitzerland,politicians from and supporters of the right-wingSwiss People's Partycriticized Swiss bankUBSfor "woke culture".[81]

Latin America

InBrazilthe term "woke", gained force during and after the2022 Brazilian general electionwon by the leftist leaderLuiz Inácio Lula da Silvawith theBolsonaristas– supporters of the former right-wing presidentJair Bolsonaro– and parts of the Brazilian center-right accusing the left of "forcing the woke agenda in Brazil" with progressive policies such as ta xingYouTubers,diversity policies, women's reproductive rights and ideological patrolling by the Brazilian left, calledLulistas.[82][83]

Oceania

During the2022 Australian federal electioncampaign, bothScott Morrison,then-prime minister and leader of the centre-rightLiberal-National Coalition,andAnthony Albanese,the current prime minister and leader of the centre-leftAustralian Labor Party,insisted they were not "woke".[84]Peter Dutton,currentOpposition Leaderand leader of the Coalition, has also used the term several times before.[85][86]Members of minor right-wing parties, especiallyPauline Hanson's One Nationand theUnited Australia Party,also frequently use the term.

InNew Zealand,former deputy prime minister and leader of theNew Zealand First Party,Winston Peters,referred to the government led byJacinda Ardernand theNew Zealand Labour Partyas a "woke guilt industry".[87]Then–opposition leaderJudith Collinsalso referred to Ardern as "woke".[88]

At the2024 Queensland local government elections,"Say NO to WOKE"was registered as agroupfor theToowoomba Regional Council.It ran two candidates but did not win any seats.[89]

Reception and legacy

Scholars Michael B. McCormack and Althea Legal-Miller argue that the phrasestay wokeechoesMartin Luther King Jr.'s exhortation "to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change".[90][page needed]

Writer and activistChloé Valdaryhas stated that the concept of being woke is a "double-edged sword" that can "alert people to systemic injustice" while also being "an aggressive, performative take on progressive politics that only makes things worse".[3]Social-justice scholars Tehama Lopez Bunyasi and Candis Watts Smith, in their 2019 bookStay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter,argue against what they term as "Woker-than-Thou-itis: Striving to be educated around issues of social justice is laudable and moral, but striving to be recognized by others as a woke individual is self-serving and misguided."[91][92][93]Essayist Maya Binyam, writing inThe Awl,ironized about a seeming contest among players who "name racism when it appears" or who disparage "folk who are lagging behind".[25][further explanation needed]

LinguistBen Zimmerwrites that, with mainstream currency, the term's "original grounding in African-American political consciousness has been obscured".[13]The Economiststates that as the term came to be used more to describe white people active on social media, black activists "criticised the performatively woke for being more concerned with internet point-scoring than systemic change".[18]JournalistAmanda Hesssays social media accelerated the word'scultural appropriation,[25]writing, "The conundrum is built in. When white people aspire to get points for consciousness, they walk right into the cross hairs between allyship and appropriation."[8][25]Hess describeswokeas "the inverse of 'politically correct'... It means wanting to be considered correct, and wanting everyone to know just how correct you are".[25]

The impact of "woke" sentiment on society has been criticised from various perspectives. In 2018, the British political commentatorAndrew Sullivandescribed the "Great Awokening", describing it as a "cult of social justice on the left, a religion whose followers show the same zeal as any born-again Evangelical [Christian]" and who "punish heresy by banishing sinners from society or coercing them to public demonstrations of shame".[4]In 2021, the British filmmaker and DJDon Lettssuggested that "in a world so woke you can't make a joke", it was difficult for young artists to make protest music without being accused ofcultural appropriation.[94]

Woke-washingandwoke capitalism

Further information:Corporate sociopolitical activismandGo woke, go broke

By the mid-2010s, language associated with wokeness had entered the mainstream media and was being used for marketing.[38]Abas Mirzaei, a senior lecturer in branding atMacquarie University,says that the term "has been cynically applied to everything from soft drink to razors".[4]In 2018, African-American journalistSam Sandersargued that the authentic meaning ofwokewas being lost to overuse by white liberals and co-option by businesses trying to appear progressive (woke-washing), which would ultimately create a backlash.[39]

The termwoke capitalismwas coined by writerRoss Douthatfor brands that used politically progressive messaging as a substitute for genuine reform.[95]According toThe Economist,examples of "woke capitalism" include advertising campaigns designed to appeal to millennials, who often hold more socially liberal views than earlier generations.[96]These campaigns were often perceived by customers as insincere and inauthentic and provoked a backlash summarized by the phrase "get woke, go broke".[4]

Cultural scientists Akane Kanai andRosalind Gilldescribe "woke capitalism" as the "dramatically intensifying" trend to include historically marginalized groups (currently primarily in terms of race, gender, and religion) asmascotsin advertisement with a message ofempowermentto signal progressive values. On the one hand, Kanai and Gill argue that this creates an individualized and depoliticized idea of social justice, reducing it to an increase in self-confidence; on the other hand, the omnipresent visibility in advertising can also amplify abacklashagainst the equality of precisely these minorities. These would become mascots not only of the companies using them, but of the unchallengedneoliberaleconomic system with its socially unjust order itself. For the economically weak, the equality of these minorities would thus become indispensable to the maintenance of this economic system; the minorities would be seen responsible for the losses of this system.[97]

See also

References

  1. ^Calcutt, Clea (October 19, 2021)."French education minister's anti-woke mission".Politico.Archivedfrom the original on October 20, 2023.RetrievedNovember 27,2022.
  2. ^abMorgan, Marcyliena (2020). "'We Don't Play': Black Women's Linguistic Authority Across Race, Class, and Gender ". In Alim, H. Samy; Reyes, Angela; Kroskrity, Paul V. (eds.).The Oxford Handbook of Language and Race.Oxford University Press. pp. 276–277.doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190845995.013.13.ISBN978-0-19-084599-5.
  3. ^abcdefghijklmnoRomano, Aja (October 9, 2020)."A history of 'wokeness'".Vox.Archivedfrom the original on November 21, 2020.RetrievedMarch 2,2023.
  4. ^abcdefMirzaei, Abas (September 8, 2019)."Where 'woke' came from and why marketers should think twice before jumping on the social activism bandwagon".The Conversation.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2023.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  5. ^Cauley, Kashana(February 2019)."Word: Woke".The Believer.No. 123.ISSN1543-6101.Archived from the original on May 10, 2022.{{cite magazine}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^abcGarvey, Marcus; Garvey, Amy Jacques (1986) [first published 1923].The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, Or, Africa for the Africans.Dover, Mass.: The Majority Press. p. 5.ISBN978-0-912469-24-9.
  7. ^abcdefg"New words notes June 2017".Oxford English Dictionary.June 16, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on June 27, 2021.RetrievedAugust 28,2020.
  8. ^abcd"Stay Woke: The new sense of 'woke' is gaining popularity".Words We're Watching. Merriam-Webster. n.d.Archivedfrom the original on January 4, 2017.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  9. ^Grinspan, Jon (2009). "'Young Men for War': The Wide Awakes and Lincoln's 1860 Presidential Campaign ".The Journal of American History.96(2): 357–378.doi:10.1093/jahist/96.2.357.
  10. ^Wills, Matthew (June 29, 2020)."Abolitionist 'Wide Awakes' Were Woke Before 'Woke'".JSTOR Daily.Archivedfrom the original on July 2, 2020.RetrievedJuly 2,2020.
  11. ^Matheis, Frank (August 2018)."Outrage Channeled in Verse".Living Blues.Vol. 49, no. 4. p. 15.ISSN0024-5232.Archivedfrom the original on September 6, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 5,2018.
  12. ^abKrouse, Tonya; O'Callaghan, Tamara F. (2020).Introducing English Studies.London: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 135.ISBN978-1-350-05542-1.
  13. ^abcZimmer, Ben (April 14, 2017)."'Woke', From a Sleepy Verb to a Badge of Awareness ".Word on the Street.The Wall Street Journal.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2021.RetrievedMarch 1,2021.
  14. ^Beckham, Barry (1972).Garvey Lives!: A Play.OCLC19687974.
  15. ^abcdeMarsden, Harriet (November 25, 2019)."Whither 'woke': What does the future hold for word that became a weapon?".The New European.Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2021.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  16. ^abPulliam-Moore, Charles (January 8, 2016)."How 'woke' went from black activist watchword to teen internet slang".Splinter News.Archivedfrom the original on December 20, 2019.RetrievedDecember 20,2019.
  17. ^Watson, Elijah C. (February 27, 2018)."The Origin Of Woke: How Erykah Badu And Georgia Anne Muldrow Sparked The 'Stay Woke' Era".Okayplayer.Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2021.RetrievedApril 2,2021.
  18. ^abc"How has the meaning of the word 'woke' evolved?".The Economist explains.The Economist.July 30, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on September 13, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 13,2021.
  19. ^Parker, Suzi (September 14, 2012)."Pussy Riot should continue their mission even if freed".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on July 15, 2023.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  20. ^Parker, Suzi (April 21, 2012)."What American women could learn from Pussy Riot, a Russian punk rock girl band".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on March 16, 2016.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  21. ^Watson, Elijah C. (February 25, 2020)."The Origin Of Woke: How The Death Of Woke Led To The Birth Of Cancel Culture".Okayplayer.Archivedfrom the original on January 23, 2021.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  22. ^Holloway, James (October 31, 2019)."Obama warns against social media call-out culture".New Atlas.Archivedfrom the original on April 19, 2021.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  23. ^Badu, Erykah [@fatbellybella] (August 8, 2012)."Truth requires no belief. Stay woke. Watch closely. #FreePussyRiot"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  24. ^abRichardson, Elaine; Ragland, Alice (Spring 2018)."#StayWoke: The Language and Literacies of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement".Community Literacy Journal.12(2): 27–56.doi:10.25148/clj.12.2.009099.ISSN1555-9734.
  25. ^abcdefHess, Amanda (April 19, 2016)."Earning the 'Woke' Badge".The New York Times Magazine.ISSN0028-7822.Archivedfrom the original on April 7, 2017.RetrievedApril 23,2017.
  26. ^Holliday, Nicole (November 16, 2016)."How 'Woke' Fell Asleep".OxfordWords.Oxford Dictionaries.Archived from the original on December 27, 2016.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  27. ^Harper, Douglas."wake".Online Etymology Dictionary.
  28. ^abcdBacon, Perry Jr. (March 17, 2021)."Why Attacking 'Cancel Culture' And 'Woke' People Is Becoming The GOP's New Political Strategy".FiveThirtyEight.Archivedfrom the original on October 29, 2021.RetrievedMarch 23,2021.But in culture and politics today, the most prominent uses of "woke" are as a pejorative — Republicans attacking Democrats, more centrist Democrats attacking more liberal ones and supporters of the British monarchy using the term to criticize people more sympathetic to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
  29. ^Brooks, David (July 25, 2017)."Opinion | How Cool Works in America Today".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archivedfrom the original on November 20, 2021.RetrievedNovember 20,2021.Quoted inMorgan (2020),p. 277
  30. ^Hartley, John(2020).Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts(5th ed.). Routledge. pp. 290–291.ISBN978-1-3518-4801-5.
  31. ^abcBacon, Perry Jr. (March 16, 2021)."The Ideas That Are Reshaping The Democratic Party And America".FiveThirtyEight.Archivedfrom the original on March 22, 2021.RetrievedMarch 25,2021.
  32. ^Generation Z: The Woke GenerationArchivedJuly 6, 2023, at theWayback Machine,The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  33. ^Belin, Soisic (March 29, 2021)."Huit mots pour comprendre la génération Z"[Eight words to understand Generation Z].Les Echos Start(in French).Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2021.RetrievedApril 25,2021.
  34. ^Trudon, Taylor (January 5, 2016)."Say Goodbye To 'On Fleek,' 'Basic' And 'Squad' In 2016 And Learn These 10 Words Instead".MTV News.Archived fromthe originalon December 22, 2016.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  35. ^Steinmetz, Katy (January 7, 2017)."'Dumpster Fire' Is the American Dialect Society's 2016 Word of the Year ".Time.Archivedfrom the original on April 20, 2021.RetrievedApril 2,2021.
  36. ^King, Georgia Frances (January 7, 2017)."The American Dialect Society's word of the year is 'dumpster fire'".Quartz.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2021.RetrievedApril 2,2021.
  37. ^Metcalf, Allan (January 6, 2017)."2016 Word of the Year isdumpster fire,as voted by American Dialect Society "(PDF)(Press release). American Dialect Society.Archived(PDF)from the original on March 3, 2021.RetrievedApril 2,2021.
  38. ^abSobande, Francesca (2019)."Woke-washing: 'Intersectional' femvertising and branding 'woke' bravery"(PDF).European Journal of Marketing.54(11): 2723–2745.doi:10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0134.ISSN0309-0566.S2CID213469381– via ResearchGate.The adverts span from 2015–2018, which reflects the point at which the language of 'woke(ness)' entered mainstream media and marketing spheres
  39. ^abShariatmadari, David (October 14, 2019)."Cancelled for sadfishing: the top 10 words of 2019".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2021.RetrievedJuly 5,2021.
  40. ^abc"How US 'wokeness' became a right-wing cudgel around the world".France 24.March 1, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on October 21, 2022.RetrievedOctober 21,2022.
  41. ^abPoole, Steven (December 25, 2019)."From woke to gammon: buzzwords by the people who coined them".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2021.RetrievedJuly 5,2021.
  42. ^abButterworth, Benjamin (January 21, 2021)."What does 'woke' actually mean, and why are some people so angry about it?".inews.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2021.RetrievedMarch 16,2021.
  43. ^abcSmith, Allan; Kapur, Sahil (May 2, 2021)."Republicans are crusading against 'woke'".NBC News.Archivedfrom the original on September 9, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 7,2021.
  44. ^Luk, Johnny."Why 'woke' became toxic".aljazeera.Archivedfrom the original on September 28, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 28,2023.
  45. ^Kilgore, Ed (March 19, 2021)."Is 'Anti-Wokeness' the New Ideology of the Republican Party?".Intelligencer.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2021.RetrievedOctober 23,2022.
  46. ^Bethea, Charles (February 7, 2023)."Why some Florida schools are removing books from their libraries".The New Yorker.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2023.RetrievedMarch 20,2023.
  47. ^McWhorter, John (August 17, 2021)."Opinion | How 'Woke' Became an Insult".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on September 7, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 7,2021.
  48. ^Anderson, Bryan (November 2, 2021)."Critical race theory is a flashpoint for conservatives, but what does it mean?".PBS NewsHour.Associated Press.Archivedfrom the original on November 3, 2021.RetrievedNovember 3,2021.
  49. ^Guynn, Jessica (January 4, 2023)."'Woke mind virus'? 'Corporate wokeness'? Why red America has declared war on corporate America ".USA TODAY.RetrievedApril 24,2024.
  50. ^Franklin, Ellise Shafer,McKinley; Shafer, Ellise; Franklin, McKinley (April 29, 2023)."Elon Musk Talks Twitter, Censorship and the 'Woke Mind Virus' on 'Real Time With Bill Maher'".Variety.RetrievedApril 24,2024.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  51. ^Liles, Jordan (January 29, 2023)."Did Elon Musk Warn that 'Woke Mind Virus' Is Destroying Civilization?".Snopes.RetrievedApril 24,2024.
  52. ^Warzel, Charlie (May 23, 2023)."Twitter Is a Far-Right Social Network".The Atlantic.RetrievedApril 24,2024.
  53. ^"DeSantis pledges to fight 'woke mind virus'".The Messenger.RetrievedJuly 29,2024.
  54. ^Montanero, Domenico (July 21, 2023)."Republicans can't stop using the word 'woke'. But what does it really mean?".NPR.RetrievedJuly 29,2024.
  55. ^Arya, Shishir (October 25, 2023)."Cultural Marxists, 'Woke People' Spoiling India's Ethos: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat".The Times of India.Archivedfrom the original on October 25, 2023.RetrievedOctober 25,2023.
  56. ^"Cultural Marxists, woke using media, spoiling country's education and culture: Mohan Bhagwat".Press Trust of India.October 25, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on October 27, 2023.RetrievedOctober 27,2023.
  57. ^"The woke vs right-winger battle".India Today.November 2, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on October 27, 2023.RetrievedOctober 27,2023.
  58. ^"RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat mentions 'woke' in speech: What does the word mean?".The Indian Express.October 24, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on October 27, 2023.RetrievedOctober 27,2023.
  59. ^Major, Darren (September 17, 2022)."So who's 'woke,' what does it mean and how is it being used in Canadian politics?".CBC News.RetrievedMay 2,2024.
  60. ^Grant, Meghan (January 30, 2023)."Mandatory Indigenous course at risk after group of lawyers aims to change Law Society rule".CBC News.Archivedfrom the original on February 6, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 6,2023.
  61. ^Mosleh, Omar (January 31, 2023)."Alberta lawyers launch petition against mandatory course on Indigenous history".Toronto Star.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 5,2023.
  62. ^abcSchofield, Hugh (December 13, 2021)."France resists US challenge to its values".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on October 21, 2022.RetrievedOctober 21,2022.
  63. ^Sastre, Peggy (April 9, 2021). "Le wokisme, une idéologie atomiséeArchivedJuly 18, 2023, at theWayback Machine".Le Point.
  64. ^Williams, Thomas Chatterton (February 4, 2023). "The French Are In A Panic Over Le WokismeArchivedJuly 18, 2023, at theWayback Machine".The Atlantic.
  65. ^John, Tara (January 7, 2022). "The ‘anti-woke’ crusade has come to Europe. Its effects could be chillingArchivedJuly 18, 2023, at theWayback Machine".CNN.
  66. ^Mamane, Eliott (March 14, 2023). "«Aux États-Unis, l'élection présidentielle pourrait être déterminée par le clivage entre “woke” et “anti-woke” »ArchivedJuly 19, 2023, at theWayback Machine".Le Figaro.
  67. ^Calcutt, Clea (May 30, 2022)."France's culture wars reignited after Macron appoints 'woke' minister".Politico.Archivedfrom the original on October 21, 2022.RetrievedOctober 21,2022.
  68. ^Policar, Alain, "De woke au wokisme: anatomie d'un anathème",Raison présente,2022/1 (N° 221), pp. 115–118.doi:10.3917/rpre.221.0115.Read OnlineArchivedOctober 20, 2022, at theWayback Machine
  69. ^Sibony, Daniel, "Wokisme et psychologie collective",Commentaire,2022/4 (Numéro 180), pp. 879–884.doi:10.3917/comm.180.0879.Read OnlineArchivedJuly 12, 2023, at theWayback Machine
  70. ^Dély, Renaud, "Vous avez dit Wokisme?",Humanisme,2022/2 (N° 335), pp. 4–9.doi:10.3917/huma.335.0004.Read OnlineArchivedApril 17, 2023, at theWayback Machine
  71. ^Tavoillot, Pierre-Henri, "Le wokisme ou le progressisme devenu fou",Administration,2022/1 (N° 273), pp. 63–66.doi:10.3917/admi.273.0063.Read OnlineArchivedDecember 11, 2022, at theWayback Machine
  72. ^abCammaerts, Bart (2022)."The abnormalisation of social justice: The 'anti-woke culture war' discourse in the UK".Discourse & Society.33(6): 730–743.doi:10.1177/09579265221095407.ISSN0957-9265.
  73. ^Bromwich, Kathryn (August 5, 2023)."Opinion | Appearing on the Mail's sneering 'Woke List' is actually a badge of honour".The Observer.Archivedfrom the original on February 13, 2024.RetrievedJuly 12,2024.
  74. ^Mayhew, Freddy (June 11, 2021)."Andrew Neil says GB News plans to take war on 'woke' establishment media global".Press Gazette.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2024.RetrievedJuly 12,2024.
  75. ^Adu, Aletha (April 21, 2024)."UK voters frustrated with politicians' 'desperate' culture war tactics, survey finds".The Guardian.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  76. ^Dawson, Bethany (September 15, 2023)."Theresa May: I'm woke".Politico.RetrievedJuly 28,2024.
  77. ^Nicholson, Kate (September 15, 2023)."Theresa May Just Declared She's 'Woke And Proud'. History Might Suggest Otherwise".HuffPost UK.RetrievedJuly 28,2024.
  78. ^Smith, Matthew (September 26, 2022)."Most Britons now know what 'woke' is".YouGov.Archivedfrom the original on October 21, 2022.RetrievedOctober 21,2022.
  79. ^Williams, Zoe (March 25, 2024)."Opinion | Why is the right at war with cyclists? We're not 'wokerati' – we're just trying to get around".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on May 29, 2024.RetrievedJuly 12,2024.
  80. ^"Orbán Balázs: Nem adjuk fel a woke ideológia elleni harcot".November 29, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on January 23, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  81. ^"UBS Targeted by Swiss Populist Party for 'Woke' Culture".Archivedfrom the original on January 23, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  82. ^"Movimento" woke "no Brasil"[ “Woke” movement in Brazil].ig.br(in Portuguese). July 26, 2024.RetrievedAugust 20,2024.
  83. ^"Lula quer taxar youtubers e forçar" agenda woke "com novo tributo, diz Kim"[Lula wants to tax YouTubers and force “woke agenda” with new tax, says Kim].gazetadopovo.br(in Portuguese). May 14, 2024.RetrievedAugust 20,2024.
  84. ^Buckley, John (March 23, 2022)."Morrison and Albanese Desperately Want You to Know They Are Not Woke".Vice.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 7,2023.
  85. ^Butler, Josh (August 23, 2022)."Labor defence minister ends Peter Dutton's 'war on wokeness' within department".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 7,2023.
  86. ^Greene, Andrew (August 23, 2022)."Peter Dutton's ban on 'woke' defence events overturned".ABC News.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 7,2023.
  87. ^Dimitrof, Stefan (September 29, 2022)."Winston Peters tells Aussie TV about New Zealand's 'woke guilt industry'".Te Ao Māori News.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 7,2023.
  88. ^Sadler, Rachel (June 15, 2020)."Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should 'stop being so woke' – Judith Collins".Newshub.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 7,2023.
  89. ^"2024 local government elections".Electoral Commission of Queensland. March 22, 2024.
  90. ^McCormack, Michael B.; Legal-Miller, Althea (2019). "All Over the World Like a Fever: Martin Luther King Jr.'s World House and the Movement for Black Lives in the United States and United Kingdom". In Crawford, Vicki L.;Baldwin, Lewis V.(eds.).Reclaiming the Great World House: The Global Vision of Martin Luther King Jr.University of Georgia Press. p. 260.ISBN978-0-8203-5602-0.JSTORj.ctvfxv9j2.15.
  91. ^Worth, Sydney (February 19, 2020)."The Language of Antiracism".Yes! Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on February 28, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 28,2021.
  92. ^Bunyasi, Tehama Lopez; Smith, Candis Watts (2019).Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter.NYU Press. p. 202.ISBN978-1-4798-3648-2.
  93. ^Spinelle, Jenna (June 19, 2020)."Take Note: Authors Of 'Stay Woke' On Structural Racism, Black Lives Matter & How To Be Anti-Racist".WPSU.Archivedfrom the original on April 21, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 28,2021.
  94. ^Thomas, Tobi (March 16, 2021)."'Woke' culture is threat to protest songs, says Don Letts ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2021.RetrievedJuly 5,2021.
  95. ^Lewis, Helen (July 14, 2020)."How Capitalism Drives Cancel Culture".The Atlantic.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2020.RetrievedJuly 14,2020.
  96. ^"Woke, not broke".Bartleby.The Economist.Vol. 430, no. 9127. January 26, 2019. p. 65.ISSN0013-0613.Archivedfrom the original on May 14, 2021.RetrievedMarch 24,2021.
  97. ^Kanai, A.; Gill, R. (2020)."Woke? Affect, neoliberalism, marginalised identities and consumer culture".New Formations: A Journal of Culture, Theory & Politics.102(102): 10–27.doi:10.3898/NewF:102.01.2020.ISSN0950-2378.S2CID234623282.Archivedfrom the original on February 27, 2021.RetrievedApril 21,2021.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related toWokeness.
  • The dictionary definition ofwokeat Wiktionary
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Woke&oldid=1247128606"