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, 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.
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," shows this. The journalist seemed to think "woke" referred to someone aware of Black culture, similar to being "hip" or being in the know. But the true meaning relates to awareness of racial privilege. That's a key difference, as one definition views the word as a casual, cool term with little social weight, while the other is associated with the civil rights movement.
Just two years ago, conservative author Bethany Mandel was stunned during an interview when co-host Briahna Joy Gray asked her to define "woke," a subject she covered thoroughly in her book. Although authors are often experts in their fields, her responses revealed she did not have a solid understanding of the term, its history, or its purpose. Without critically thinking about and analyzing what "woke" means in terms of racial discourse, she boldly imposed her own meaning on the conversation. Of course, she wasn't alone. A smear campaign led by far-right activists, pundits, and politicians has given "woke" its own meaning, depicting it as something horrible. Elon Musk, a South African businessman with ties to the Trump administration, claimed some are infected with a "woke mind virus." Republicans have passed a series of anti-woke legislation, at times explicitly like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and other times through anti-diversity initiatives.
Despite conservatives hijacking "woke" and seemingly holding the word hostage, Black people shouldn't allow white people to get away with co-opting the meaning of the term. To understand why it's important to stand our ground, let's briefly consider how the term has evolved over the years. In 1923, Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey urged fellow Africans to "wake up," encouraging them to create a "mighty nation" that would transcend the confines of white supremacy. This bold call to action aligns with the broader effort to unite Black people and elevate the community. However, one could argue that the way many Black Americans use the term today originates from another source: the blues singer and guitarist Lead Belly. His 1938 song, "The Scottsboro Boys," issued a warning. In Alabama, nine Black teenagers were wrongly accused of raping two white women on a freight train. Despite their innocence, they spent decades in prison fighting for their freedom. So, when Belly sang, "Best stay woke," he was responding to the injustices Black people endured throughout Jim Crow. Because of racist attitudes against the group, many were presumed guilty of crimes. Stereotypes acted as legitimizing myths used to excuse their mistreatment.
In its unabridged form, "woke" refers to a collective effort to raise awareness of the dangers of being Black in America — a noble endeavor to prevent others from being lulled into complacency. It's like Ida B. Wells, the renowned journalist and anti-lynching advocate, once noted, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," adding that "there is not that vigilance which should be exercised in the preservation of our rights." Throughout the generations, Black people may have presented this idea differently, but the meaning has been consistent. In 1962, activist and community leader Malcolm X said, "The greatest mistake of the movement has been trying to organize a sleeping people around a specific goal. You have to wake the people up first, then you’ll get action." You see, it's not enough for people to become casually interested in changing society — they need to have a sense of direction, of where they want to go. This basic understanding is foundational to fostering change.
"Wake up." "Best stay woke." "Stay Woke." "Wake the people up." No matter how Black people decide to express this notion or how many white people misuse the term out of confusion or malice, we should remember that possession doesn't always equal ownership. There's no requirement that Black people concede the meaning of "woke' to bad-faith actors. It was born and raised in the black community. While some people have certainly made the term less appealing, diminishing its use in our lexicon, I believe we shouldn't lose sight of the true meaning of the word "woke," as a concept, what it has meant to the Black community, and why it's still necessary. We live in a nation where Black people are nearly three times as likely to be killed by police. Black women have a maternal mortality rate that's between three and four times the rate for white women. Black students are more likely to attend underfunded schools, face discrimination for wearing natural hair styles, and be suspended or expelled. Racism is pervasive and harmful. As a result, Black people must "stay woke," remain aware, or however we choose to phrase it going forward. Because the alternative, replacing awareness of racial injustice with complacency, is a poor response to the moment we find ourselves in. The ability of Black people to progress and even survive necessitates vigilance. Indeed, as Wells suggested, this is the price of liberty.
More Americans need to understand that anti-woke is not just one side of a culture war, as pundits often casually describe the conflict; it is an existential crisis for our country. Books written by Black authors, especially those that highlight their unique experiences, history, and contributions, are being quickly removed from curricula in many K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. While those leading the censorship claim that "woke" is rooted in an extreme ideology, this characterization facilitates cultural erasure. Of course, those who win conflicts often control the narrative. But it's important to remember that it doesn't have to be this way. In America, white people are a dominant group that holds more social, economic, and political power than others, controlling much of the public's access to information. To challenge this unfair system, Black people must double down on their autonomy and assert their right to communicate on equal footing, using the words and phrases they choose. Otherwise, they'll be controlled only by others' demands and risk further normalizing the idea that Black people should eliminate terms that white people take issue with from their vocabulary, something no group should adhere to.
What should we take away from this discussion? White people co-opting "woke" is a form of "epistemological injustice," where knowledge and understanding are recognized conditionally based on a group's status. While it's often dismissed as unimportant, this reflects the broader power imbalance in American society, where White people use their privilege to keep a tight grip on public perception. This explains why, despite the original meaning of "woke," the one that seems to stick in the public's mind is the one they created, with negative connotations. Instead of society asking why many Black people feel the need to "stay woke," many are uninterested in their perspective. Even if some are tired of the seemingly endless drama surrounding the term, Black people shouldn't concede the meaning behind it.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Allison Gaines' work on Medium.