By Herman M. Lagon
Some years ago, “woke” was a positive term. In African American Vernacular English, it called for racial awareness and “vigilanteism.” The Black Lives Matter movement popularized “stay woke” to combat systemic racism. As it became popular, the term expanded to include gender and economic inequality.
Recently, “woke” has become negative. As a catch-all insult, it is often used to criticize excessive political correctness in politics. According to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, “woke” has become “a pejorative term of abuse to almost criticize people who care for equality.” This meaning change reflects social justice polarization.
Social media has boosted genuine advocacy and performative wokeness. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter allow people to show their “wokeness” without activism. Performance often involves posting about social issues for public approval rather than change. Thus, superficial engagement can overshadow genuine efforts to address injustices.
Performative wokeness can hinder activism. After George Floyd’s murder, Black Lives Matter posts flooded social media. The initial support was promising, but many posts returned to regular content, indicating a lack of long-term commitment. This type of engagement highlights the privilege of opting in and out of activism, which those directly affected by the injustices being protested cannot.
Divisive, extreme woke culture can create an us-versus-them mentality. Cancel culture shows polarization, where unpopular opinions are shamed and shunned. While punishing wrongdoers is important, cancel culture’s harshness can stifle dialogue and learning. Instead of fostering understanding, it breeds fear and resentment, splitting society.
The weaponization of “woke” has also caused division. It is a convenient political label to attack progressive ideas. This weaponization undermines social justice and simplifies complex issues into binaries. Critics can ignore inequality discussions by slurring “woke.” This strategy undermines systemic change and maintains the status quo.
Wake capitalism and “wokewashing” have complicated the discourse. Many companies use social justice to attract progressive consumers without making real changes. “Wakewashing” allows companies to profit from appearing socially conscious while continuing harmful practices. Hypocrisy undermines genuine social justice efforts and breeds consumer cynicism and distrust, who may distrust all social justice initiatives.
Despite these criticisms, it is essential to acknowledge woke culture’s original and valuable intentions. Being “woke” means identifying, recognizing and addressing social injustices. To work, woke culture must go beyond performance and engage in sustained activism. This requires openness to difficult conversations, diverse viewpoints and challenging our privileges. It is about actively promoting social justice, not moral superiority.
Balance is needed in the current extreme wokeness. While calling out injustices and holding people and institutions accountable is essential, so is fostering open dialogue and understanding. This means accepting that people can change and that punishment is not always the best way to promote social justice. We can foster inclusivity and genuine social engagement by focusing on education and empathy.
Extreme wokeness can make people afraid to speak up. Fear can stop meaningful discussions and progress. Create safe spaces for people to express their opinions, even if they disagree with the mainstream. We can promote a deeper understanding of social issues by doing so.
Extreme wokeness can also simplify complex issues from one side. Social justice requires multiple perspectives and an understanding of human complexity. Extreme wokeness simplifies issues into binaries, which can hinder progress. We can better address social injustices with a balanced approach.
The performative nature of woke culture can hinder activism. True activism requires dedication. Making tangible changes is more important than posting on social media for likes. We must move beyond performative wokeness to address social injustices with meaningful action. This means volunteering, donating and supporting lasting change.
Finally, being woke has noble roots, but its extremes can be harmful. Wake culture’s performativity, divisiveness and weaponization have obscured its original purpose. We must promote genuine activism and open dialogue and avoid simplifying complex issues to reclaim the positive aspects of wokeness. We can create a more just and equitable society that honors being woke by doing so.
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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./WDJ