LANGUAGE
Awareness of racial injustice is far too critical to concede
It is often said that the winners of conflicts are the ones who write history. From their perch of power, they can control the narrative, shaping what future generations learn about past events. Likewise, it’s also possible for groups with more social, political, and economic power to influence public opinion on contemporary matters. One example would be White Americans on the far-right taking the term “woke.” Without leaving so much as a ransom note to acknowledge the theft, some began to misuse and distort the term. This behavior has contributed to a state of confusion about the word. Within the black community, telling one another to “stay woke” has promoted sustained awareness of racial injustice. Yet, White people have created their own version, intentionally diverting public attention away from the original.
Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time White people have tried to understand the term “woke” and other lingo originating from the black community. While some discuss the movement as relatively new, as if it sprang up out of thin air, Black people have been using the word “woke” for generations. A 1962 New York Times article, “If You’re Woke You Dig It,”…
