By JTFMax:

If you were to ask anyone what the slang term "woke" means in 2023, you would probably hear a wide variety of answers. While there are many variations, one popular meaning is "to stay alert." The slang originates from the African-American vernacular English phrase, "Stay woke." This common expression in black communities encourages people to be alert to the community's problems.

'Being woke' is not an insult.

As a black person, being "woke" means being consciously aware of racial and social justice issues. It also represents a global perspective on combating racism. In this regard, we must be mindful of the African diaspora and how we share our culture and language. For example, black New York City novelist William Melvin Kelley titled, "If you're woke, you dig it" – meaning if you're in the know, you understand.

The term "woke" was coined in the 18th century, originally meaning to wake up, not to be asleep. Later, it was used as a political rallying cry to raise awareness about racial injustice. After the Tray von Martin shooting, woke became a slang term used to describe a person awake and alert to the plight of the disadvantaged. Unfortunately, however, the slang has evolved into a sardonic insult. When woke first hit the mainstream, it meant being up to date on the most recent social and political news. But, unfortunately, it was also used as a derogatory term to describe liberals, a group that had long been accused of being hypersensitive.

'Stay woke' is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English.

Merriam-Webster added the word to its dictionary in 2017 as "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)." The Oxford dictionary adopted it the same year, defining it as "Originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice." And it has already undergone a radical shift. While woke initially referred to Black consciousness, today, it has taken on a new meaning and is used by conservative voices who oppose the emancipation of marginalized groups.

The word has also been misappropriated as internet slang on TikTok. As an adjective woke means alert to social injustice or discrimination. The term first appeared in the Lead Belly folk song Scottsboro Boys in 1938. The singer used it to alert his listeners to white supremacists among blacks. But it wasn't until 2008 that the term gained widespread popularity. In that year, it was also used by Erykah Badu. In her song, "Master Teacher," she repeated the phrase, "I stay woke." In the mid-late 20th century, "woke" began to mean "well-informed." It also became a word of warning against racism and systemic injustice. However, white Americans mostly ignored the phrase. This was especially true during the 2014 Ferguson protests.

'Critical race theory is a new ‘bete noir' of the right.

Critical Race Theory, or CRT, is a burgeoning field within the academic world. It's an analytical framework for understanding persistent inequalities, including racial and socioeconomic injustices. The theory aims to make students aware of this reality. However, the concept of critical race theory is often portrayed by conservative Republicans as a scheme to make white people feel guilty about their racial past. This has led to some efforts to remove books about racism from public libraries and to bully public school educators into dropping the term from curricula. Many states have passed legislation banning the teaching of critical race theory. These include nine states and the District of Columbia. Many bills are similar and prohibit discussions of oppression, privilege, conscious and unconscious bias, and discrimination.

'Woke police' are policing others' actions and words.

The term 'woke police' has become a pejorative term used by right-wing culture warriors who want to rid the world of minorities whining about their plight. This trend is on the rise due to the growing popularity of social media, the lack of a cohesive cultural and linguistic identity, and the fact that minority groups are not as naive as they were a few years ago. However, as with any neophyte trend, there is a silver lining if you know what to expect. Specifically, you should expect to be treated with decency, not sex, and you should also wish for a fair share of free information.

'Their' slang also be our slang.

Slang is a sociological construct that allows us to index relationships between discourses. When discussing speeches that were once called slang, we can be concerned with how to define the boundary between slang and the other lessons we are analyzing. The ambiguity of this term becomes even more critical when we are discussing discourses that have become deviant types of slang. Slang is used to identify a class of speakers and organize their behaviors. This is a valuable tool in the stigmata of upward mobility, but it can also serve as a presumption of a standard for assessing other groups and their speech. Unfortunately, this presumption also lets speakers formulate negative judgments about other groups. As a result, there is a tendency for speakers to speak in a slang register to appear more popular, thereby gaining the benefits of an upward mobility stigma.