The Co-Opting of 'Woke' Erases Its Legacy of Black Vigilance
In an opinion piece, author Andrea D. Pringle argues that the term 'woke' has been stripped of its historical meaning as a call for Black awareness and survival, becoming a political punchline. She cites Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's recent dismissal of 'woke' positions as an example of how even allies may discard the language. Pringle contends that the underlying vigilance remains essential for confronting systemic injustice.
The essay traces "woke" from its early 20th-century roots in Black political consciousness—citing Marcus Garvey's calls to "wake up" and Lead Belly's 1938 warning to "stay woke" regarding the Scottsboro Boys—through its revival by Erykah Badu and its use in protests after Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner. The author notes that Florida later embedded the acronym "WOKE" into legislation restricting race-related instruction and workplace training, illustrating how the term was repurposed by conservative politicians.
The piece also acknowledges excesses within 2020 activism, including slogans that substituted provocation for persuasion and activists who treated imperfect allies as enemies. Pringle argues that movements must examine mistakes to win, but insists the underlying vigilance against systemic injustice remains essential, even as the word itself becomes a political liability.
This commentary could influence how progressive audiences discuss political language, potentially prompting reflection on whether discarding terms like "woke" also erases the historical vigilance they represent. It may affect Democratic strategists weighing rhetorical shifts, as well as Black activists who see their survival language co-opted. The piece could foster debate about who holds authority to redefine movement vocabulary, though its impact likely remains limited to opinion-driven discourse rather than immediate policy change.