Fightin' Words

woke

What does 'woke' mean and why are some conservatives using it? ABC News

The Woke Movement and Backlash The First Amendment Encyclopedia

Disrupting the Anti-'Woke' Discourse FrameWorks Institute

What 'Woke' means to Liberals & Conservatives AllSides Red Blue Translator

How Woke Went From "Black" to "Bad": The Meaning of "Woke" NAACP

Reclaiming the Word "Woke" as Part of African American Culture NAACP

Refuse to Say Just What You Mean: Anti- "Woke" Rhetoric As an Exercise in Destructive Abstraction Political Communication: Vol 41 , No 5

Scottsboro Boys lyrics (pdf)

The blues guitarist who invented the phrase "woke" farout magazine

Here's where 'woke' comes from The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The Pejorative use of the term "Woke" and the Disinformation Campaign intent on dividing society Kind Enterprises

Neighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(b), The Terms- Weaponize and Intent vs. Impact Amy E Payne at Medium

...Weaponize: to take something, in this case a word or phrase, that's not a weapon and then say it is and/or change its meaning (a lot or slightly) so it can be used as one.

...In the last number of years, however, woke's use changed for some people from tool to weapon, when it became a means for them to put others down for not being socially awake enough. Rather than an invitation for introspection, learning, and growth, it became a weapon to shame some and elevate those who were weaponizing it (ironically often people who wanted to be woke but were not). Then, in the last couple years, its actual meaning was intentionally and tragically misconstrued. As a result, in some places, woke is now used as a weapon to create fear and anger against people who work to understand and care about humanity and justice. Its meaning is being billed as a threat.