Not just hate, but I loathe that word. What started as a joke or trope among the black community, has now been butchered and overused by the media, the right wing, and white people. If you want to see different definitions of it, you could check out the Urban Dictionary. There are different takes from thousands of different people. While you’re here, I’ll give you my thoughts on it.
I am 37 years old. I have never heard the word “woke” more in my life than when republicans started using it as knock against a person or group. When I was in school, there would always be a topic of importance that came to the forefront.
Let’s say you grew up in America, land of free, home of the brave… blah, blah, blah. You believed in our justice system. When a person was murdered in cold blood, you had hope that that murderer would be brought to justice. What happens when that justice never comes? And you see this played out on tv over and over, til one day you sit and think that maybe certain people don’t get the same justice as others. It’s like a light comes on. Boom! You’re now woke. You’re observant and aware to the fact that the American Justice system is flawed and not everyone gets a fair shake.
In simpler times, black folk would end a conversation with “stay woke” after some diatribe that they probably just recently went on and ended with that statement as sort of a sarcasm or joke. For example: “Mcdonalds was created by a white man and placed those restaurants in the poorest communities, so that poor people never cook and stay unhealthy. Stay Woke!” It was a way to say dumb stuff that made no sense whatsoever, then end it with stay woke. It was a joke, usually. This had to be during the 90’s and 2000’s when I heard it, but now…
Remember I said republicans like to throw the word around now? Its because people are becoming more aware of how America ( and all its systems) are ran. Woke is now a trigger word for their base to immediately discredit someone or something.
For example: The justice system has never been fair for people of color in America. There is history and facts behind that statement. The problem is, when you bring topics like this up to certain people, they claim you either don’t know what you’re talking about or use the word woke towards you as some sort of derogatory thing.
I hate how you can be aware of what’s happening in the world or society and get labeled something that should be positive. Being aware of whats happening should not come with backlash. It shows how small-minded people can be. It shows that democrats, liberals, and even some moderates can see things for what they are. While republicans pander and lie to get what they want.
So, for the sake of all things holy, I wish people would stop using the word, “woke”. Its run its course. It was a good run, but just like America, republicans have taken and butchered it.
