The Shifting Sands of 'Woke': A UK Perspective

The word 'woke' has permeated our daily lexicon, becoming a ubiquitous, often debated, and frequently misunderstood term. Far from being a recent invention, or merely a buzzword used to dismiss certain viewpoints, 'woke' boasts a rich and complex history. Its journey from a deeply rooted expression within the African American community to a catch-all pejorative in contemporary discourse is a fascinating linguistic and cultural evolution that warrants a closer look.

The Roots: An Awakening in Post-Slavery America

To truly understand 'woke', we must journey back to the American South, in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery. Here, the word was born, not with any overtly political agenda, but simply as a colloquial term meaning 'awake'. Linguistically, while the standard adjective or participle would be 'awaken', 'woke' emerged as a spoken variant, embodying a profound sense of consciousness.

The concept of an 'awakening' within the Black community began to crystallise towards the end of the 19th century. This was a society still deeply scarred by the legacy of slavery, steeped in systemic racism, yet finding solace and strength in religious faith. Laurent Dubreuil, a professor of literature at Cornell University, highlights the parallels with religious concepts of mental awakening, particularly in Buddhism. He suggests that within the African American community, where pastoral religious discourse held significant sway, the link between emerging from slavery and an 'awakening' in the sense of emancipation was deeply ingrained in the dialect.

A pivotal figure in this early articulation was Booker T. Washington, a former slave who became a distinguished professor. In 1896, his text, 'Awakening of the Negro', further developed this notion of Black people needing to 'wake up'. Washington's work explored the kind of education necessary to awaken the minds of young Black individuals now living in a state of freedom, rather than servitude. It was about moving beyond mere emancipation to a state of enlightened self-awareness and empowerment.

Beyond this broader intellectual awakening, 'stay woke' also took on a more immediate, practical meaning: to 'stay alert' or 'be careful' in the face of the myriad dangers and threats Black individuals encountered daily. The blues musician Leadbelly famously used the expression in a recording about the Scottsboro boys, nine Black youths unjustly accused of raping two white women and swiftly judged by an all-white jury. Leadbelly's stark warning – “I advise everybody, be a little careful when they go along through there - best stay woke, keep their eyes open” – underscores the literal vigilance required for survival.

Philosophically, this idea of 'staying awake' resonates with what Immanuel Kant termed 'dogmatic slumber'. To remain 'woke' was, by opposition, a refusal to gently and slowly relinquish accessible freedoms. The expression found its way into written form in a 1943 article in The Atlantic, quoting a Black trade unionist advocating for the fight against economic exploitation. For him, the time was ripe for a 'revolutionary proletarian Marxist awakening' of all exploited people. This demonstrates that, even in its earlier written forms, 'stay woke' wasn't solely confined to racial contexts but extended to broader struggles for liberation from various forms of oppression, even suggesting that 'little white people' also needed to 'wake up'.

From Niche to Mainstream: The Modern Resurgence

The turn of the 2010s saw 'stay woke' experience a renewed surge in popularity, largely propelled by music. Artists like Erykah Badu and Childish Gambino playfully explored the term's polysemy and ambiguity. In their usage, 'woke' could simultaneously function as a political marker and a cautious warning within a romantic relationship. Jordan Peele's acclaimed film 'Get Out' notably features Childish Gambino's song 'Redbone', with its line "Stay woke," at the very beginning, setting a chilling tone as a Black character finds himself ensnared by a family of white psychopaths.

However, it was the tragic death of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager shot by a white police officer in Ferguson in 2014, that truly catapulted '#StayWoke' into the global consciousness. The hashtag became a rallying cry on protest signs for the Black Lives Matter movement. What began as a signal primarily linked to anti-racism quickly expanded to encompass a wider array of heterogeneous demands for social justice. As Dubreuil notes, in the age of social media, 'woke' became a signal – sometimes precise, sometimes diffuse – for a broader range of progressive causes, extending beyond anti-racism to encompass the rights of Indigenous peoples, refugees, and the LGBTQ+ community.

The Shifting Sands of Meaning: 'Woke' as a Pejorative

Despite its origins as a term of empowerment and awareness, the word 'woke' has undergone a significant transformation, particularly in recent years. While militant groups actively embraced the expression 'stay woke', the singular word 'woke' increasingly began to be used by detractors as a tool to mock or dismiss progressive claims. This shift is particularly evident in the public discourse, notably influenced by figures such as Tucker Carlson, a prominent journalist from Fox News, whose polemical use of the term arguably helped it gain traction, especially in non-US contexts.

This evolving usage has led to a divergence in definitions, as captured by various dictionaries:

Evolution of 'Woke' Definitions

Sociologist Guillaume Dufour notes that initially, 'woke' signified an active refusal to ignore racial segregation, intimately tied to the hope of challenging and dismantling such systems. However, the word has become increasingly weaponised in cultural and ideological battles, particularly between political left and right. As a result, it is now predominantly used in a pejorative sense. Nadine Vincent, a professor at the University of Sherbrooke, observes that 'woke' is now more often associated with individuals perceived as "moralistic, dogmatic, who give lessons, who advocate cancel culture and political correctness." Alexandra Dupuy, a linguistics master's student, summarises this by stating that the word is now used "to insult people who have more progressive values, who are more akin to the political left." Interestingly, those who are labelled 'woke' rarely self-identify with the term, further underscoring its current, predominantly negative, application.

Understanding Linguistic Evolution

The dramatic change in the definition and connotation of 'woke' is not an isolated linguistic phenomenon. It is, in fact, entirely normal for words to shift their meanings based on usage. As Nadine Vincent and Alexandra Dupuy explain, whenever a word designates a person or group, its definition is highly susceptible to change over time. While the specific trajectory of any given word is unpredictable, this kind of semantic drift is a fundamental aspect of language evolution.

Consider other examples: the term 'boomer' was originally a purely factual descriptor for those born between 1946 and 1966, but recent usage has imbued it with a derogatory connotation. Conversely, 'queer', once a deeply offensive slur, has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a term of self-identification and empowerment. These examples highlight that societal desire and how people use words are the ultimate arbiters of meaning, dictating whether a word transitions from positive to negative, or vice versa, over time. As Vincent succinctly puts it: "One cannot impose anything on usage. It is usage that decides. One cannot impose rules on language."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does 'woke' originally mean?

Originally, 'woke' was a colloquial term within the African American community meaning 'awake' or 'alert'. It signified a state of being conscious and vigilant about social injustices, particularly racism and the daily dangers faced by Black people in post-slavery America.

How did 'woke' become a pejorative term?

The term began to acquire a pejorative connotation in the late 2010s, particularly through its use in political and cultural debates. Critics started using 'woke' as a blanket term to dismiss or mock progressive viewpoints, associating it with ideas like excessive political correctness, moralising, or cancel culture, often amplified by certain media figures.

Is being 'woke' a good or bad thing?

The perception of 'woke' is highly subjective and depends on one's perspective. For some, it represents a positive commitment to social justice and awareness of inequalities. For others, particularly those who use it pejoratively, it signifies an undesirable or extreme form of progressive ideology. The term's meaning is now largely contested and carries strong political and ideological baggage.

Why do people labelled 'woke' often not identify as such?

Individuals who are labelled 'woke' often do not identify with the term because, in its current popular usage, it has largely become a pejorative and often an insult. The term is frequently employed by critics to pigeonhole and dismiss progressive viewpoints, rather than as a self-descriptor of one's own beliefs or actions regarding social justice.

The journey of 'woke' from a powerful call for awareness and liberation to a widely contested and often weaponised term in contemporary discourse is a testament to the dynamic nature of language. Its evolution mirrors the ongoing cultural and ideological battles of our time, reminding us that words are not static entities but living reflections of societal shifts and struggles. Understanding its origins is crucial to navigating the complexities of its present-day usage, providing clarity amidst the noise of modern debate.

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