How "Woke" Became A Right-Wing Slur, What It Means, And Why The Left Should Reclaim It

Greetings, good people.

I recently made a post on Facebook in response to all the "Christian love" being shown to anyone daring to criticize the rampaging Nazis taking over the US of A, as well as the loony wannabes here in South Africa - especially those who so notably embarrassed themselves via Afri-treason's trainsmash of an attempt to convince Trump to turn our country into the 51st state. But that's another story for another time.

Coming back to the topic at hand, I was described - derogatorily - as "woke" by a cross-section of these sorts of people. It is a word these days employed as a slur, an insult, a means of mocking those who exhibit human compassion and caring for others - most notably, for those hated by the traditional right wing - to whom I frequently refer to as either fascists, or more accurately sometimes, as outright Nazis.

Today I'll be taking a close look at the word "woke" - and what it really means, where and how it originated, and how it came to mean the things it does today.

Here is my post, verbatim. I will continue my philosophical ramble at the end of it:

"I am not 'woke' - 'woke' is a right-wing abbreviated shorthand slur created and used by soulless, emotionally stunted, immature, intellectually challenged thugs in an attempt to demonize decent human beings who feel empathy for others.

I am not 'woke', you insidious fucks - I am simply a decent, caring human being. The fact that you have so alienated yourselves from decency to describe compassion for others as an "evil" just shows how far from your own humanity you have devolved.

It's even more disturbing that many Christians have forsaken the very foundations of their faith: selfless compassion, love, kindness and generosity - to eagerly jump aboard the MAGA wagon - while still paradoxically pretending to be Christians. You're not - you're zombie 'Christians' - and you're in a violent cult that wears the skin of Christianity like Ed Gein parading around in the skins of his victims - and laughs about it.

If these people use 'woke' to deride people who care about others, what does that say about THEM as an opposite? 

What word should describe the opposite of empathy?

Asleep? Ignorant? Indifferent? 

What would would describe the opposite of decent?

Indecent. These people are indecent. In fact, the word is too tame - an understatement of epic proportions.

Personally, I think "sociopath" suits such people rather nicely - in all senses; colloquially, politically, socially and medically.

As I've said before, the hateful mind can excuse anything.

Anything."

That said, I have since taken a deeper look into the meaning of the word "woke" - not as far as its more obvious original meaning, to "wake up" from slumber - but at its modern political useage in common parlance today. It all started with a response left on my post above, left by an American.

"What is 'woke' an abbreviation for?"

That set me to thinking about the word and its origins in this modern usage more deeply and so I started digging.

Firstly, "woke" is not an abbreviation, although I think this guy actually meant "acronym" - an assemblage of letters, with each letter representing a word. There's no evidence I can find that the word "woke" was ever an acronym used in the sense I am discussing here today.

What it is though, is a word used to convey a more complex combination of ideas and concepts.

But WHAT ideas and concepts? Where did it come from? How did it come to be weaponized by right winger racists and Nazis and other abusers and enemies of human rights?

That's why I decided to do a little research on how "woke" came to be used in political debate - and I was truly surprised to learn quite a few things along the way. Come with me on a little trip through time:

The Origins Of "Woke" As A Political Activist Term:

The word "woke" as a political activist term has evolved significantly over time, originating within the African American community and later spreading into mainstream usage 2 3. Here’s a look at its historical definitions prior to the 21st century:

• Early 20th Century: "Woke" emerged as a call to awareness, particularly for Black Americans facing social and political issues 3 4. Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican philosopher and activist, used the phrase "Wake up Ethiopia! Wake up Africa!" in 1923 to inspire political consciousness and social activism 3 5 9.
• Mid-20th Century: The term "stay woke" appeared in a spoken afterword to Huddie Ledbetter's 1938 song "Scottsboro Boys," highlighting the need for Black Americans to be aware of racially motivated threats3 5. By this time, "woke" signified being well-informed and aware, especially in a political or cultural sense 3.
• 1960s and 1970s: The term began to gain political connotations. In 1962, the New York Times Magazine article "If You're Woke You Dig It" by William Melvin Kelley described the appropriation of black slang by white beatniks 3 9. In 1971, Barry Beckham's play Garvey Lives! included the line: "I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr. Garvey done woke me up, I'm gon' stay woke. And I'm gon help him wake up other black folk"1 3. During this time, the idea of staying woke was about Black people questioning the ways in which the government was not necessarily protecting them as citizens 6.

In summary, before the early 21st century, "woke" signified an awareness of social and political issues, particularly those affecting the Black community, and a call to stay vigilant against injustice 3 5.

Over time, by the early 21st centuryhe term "woke" evolved from a call to awareness within the African American community to a derogatory slur used by the political right 1 3. Here's how:

• Co-opting and Weaponizing: Conservatives began to co-opt and weaponize the term, using it to criticize progressive movements and those on the left 4. This tactic involves distilling complex ideas into a single word to galvanize support against them 4.
• Shift in Meaning: The word "woke" has lost its original meaning, which many white Americans are unaware of, becoming a slur against progressives and African Americans 4.
• Pejorative Use: By 2019, the term was being used sarcastically and pejoratively by those on the political right and some centrists to target leftist and progressive movements 2. It became a way to disparage actions as superficial or insincere 2.
• Backlash Against Social Justice: The modern conservative use of "woke" taps into a broader societal backlash against social justice movements and efforts to confront racism 4.
• "Woke-washing" and "Woke Capitalism": Terms like "woke-washing" and "woke capitalism" emerged to criticize organizations that advertise their commitment to social justice for financial gain, also known as "performative activism" 2.
• Association with Leftist Ideology: "Woke" evolved into an all-encompassing term to describe leftist political ideology, used as shorthand for people on the left 1. However, it was weaponized by those on the right as a dismissive term to denigrate those who disagreed with their beliefs 1.

Pinpointing the absolute first instance of "woke" being used as a slur by the right wing is difficult to determine definitively from the search results. However, the results provide a timeline and context:

• 2010s: The term "woke" began to gain broader usage beyond the African American community, becoming associated with progressive ideas and social justice issues 1.
• 2014: The Black Lives Matter movement popularized the phrase "stay woke," raising awareness about police shootings of African Americans 1 3.
• 2015: The term "woke" started crossing over into general internet usage, and searches for it surged 1.
• 2017: "Woke" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, defined as "aware or well-informed" in a political or cultural sense 1 2.
• 2019: The term was being used sarcastically and pejoratively by many on the political right and some centrists to target leftist and progressive movements 1. It was used to disparage actions as superficial or insincere 1.

While I couldn't find the exact date of the first instance of the American right using "woke" in a prejorative sense, my search results suggest that the shift towards pejorative use by the right wing gained momentum around 2019 1. Snce that time, "woke" has evolved into an all-encompassing term to describe leftist political ideology, being weaponized by those on the right as a dismissive term to denigrate those who disagreed with their beliefs 2.

In Closing:

And that's how we got to where we are today. "Woke" is being used by white supremacists today as a slur, after having co-opted (i.e. stolen) it from anti-racism activists who not only coined it, but used it long before them.

These facts are not widely known today - I for one first heard the word being used in this fashion coming from the lips and pens of fascists, used mockingly as a derisive to describe what they call "SJW's" or "social justice warriors", and never thought twice as to where or when or how that word even entered the activism vernacular. It was immediately assumed, by virtually everyone on the field, I would think - especially those without much footing in American history, that it was a completely new term, yet another appropriated word taken to mean something different - by hate groups and assorted terrorists.

Well, now we know.

As I said, I learned a few things in the process. For one, "woke" is certainly a right-wing abbreviated shorthand slur - not created by - but used by soulless, emotionally stunted, immature, intellectually challenged thugs in an attempt to demonize decent human beings who feel empathy for others.

By "abbreviated" and "shorthand", I meant that it is a word used to describe a complex concept i.e. one that would take a lot more words to relate - and so "woke" is used as a sort of semaphore summarized shorthand. The rest of my original post, I think still describes the whole scenario pretty succinctly.

Except that...

I no longer view being called "woke" an insult or derogatory term, now that I understand it's origins. In fact, knowing that, it only makes those who employ it as an attack or criticism seem even more malicious and hateful - and dishonest than before.

I think it's time people on the left took "woke" back, honoring its origins, and owned it again, don't you?

After taking it upon myself to learn more about all this, I've decided that I am woke after all. And proudly so.

And that, more than ever, those using the word as a slur are still everything I said they are.