{"id":48429,"title":"WOKE: What do you call a wolf that is woke? An awarewolf.","description":"The word \u201cwoke\u201d has a long and complex history. Originally a rallying call to be alive to racial injustice, it\u2019s since been used to batter and bolster different groups of people along the way to our understanding of its use in 2025.","content":"

\"zfeskhjfm5kpvtzz3q8yiyaxzeldsgaejzd3gmafhm6duox1.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"The word \u201cwoke\u201d has a long a complex history, rooted deeply in Black American language, as a call for awareness and vigilance in the face of social and racial injustice. One of the earliest documented uses of woke in this context appeared in a 1962 New York Times article by William Melvin Kelley, titled \u201cIf You\u2019re Woke, You Dig It.\u201d Kelly, a Black American novelist and journalist, captured the term as it was being used within African American communities to mean \u201cawake\u201d to the realities of systemic racism and inequality. It was a call to remain conscious, informed and critical of structures that perpetuate oppression - an early rallying cry that urged people not to accept the status quo. Elijah Watson wrote an excellent piece for Okayplayer about William Kelley in 2022, which you can read <\/span>here<\/u><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>

\"k2krtvlejo2ypl0j763k5q6ph4m5aonrna9g1xof1rd5aa5j.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"Over time, woke became shorthand for a broader social consciousness, not just around race, but also around gender, class, identity and the environment. In activist spaces, it signified being alert to injustice, standing in solidarity with marginalised communities and taking action. However, as the term gained wider usage, especially through social media and mainstream culture, it was gradually detached from its original roots and given new meaning by those seeking to discredit progressive values.<\/p>

In recent years, woke has been weaponised by certain political and media figures, used mockingly to describe progressive ideals as excessive, performative or even dangerous. The term has been co-opted and turned into a buzzword for everything from corporate diversity efforts to basic calls for human rights, often with a tone of ridicule. This cynical repurposing has served to undermine the very movements it once uplifted, reducing legitimate struggles for equity to punchlines or political scapegoats.<\/p>

\"xb5igdwu2uq5pvuf91aqppkm3g6xswal15ndoood3gfrlcya.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"Yet despite these distortions, there\u2019s a growing effort to reclaim woke, to restore its original power as a symbol of resistance and awareness. When we use woke in its truest form, we\u2019re honouring the legacy of people like William Melvin Kelley and generations of activists who urged us to stay awake to injustice. It\u2019s about recognising that being woke isn\u2019t an insult, it\u2019s a commitment. A commitment to empathy, to truth-telling, to justice. Reclaiming woke is about remembering that it began as a survival tool, a lifeline and a spark for change. And it still can be.<\/p>","urlTitle":"woke","url":"\/blog\/woke\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/woke\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/mymanifesto.co\/blog\/woke\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1744708170,"updatedAt":1756738870,"publishedAt":1756738869,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":337118,"name":"MANIFESTO"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/c1ynyt9rqawfskwz92flwce2q5yu56ts40ohb9rrrwderupp.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/c1ynyt9rqawfskwz92flwce2q5yu56ts40ohb9rrrwderupp.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/c1ynyt9rqawfskwz92flwce2q5yu56ts40ohb9rrrwderupp.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":55790,"title":"IT\u2019S MADNESS OUT THERE! Staying Sane in a World That Feels Unsteady","url":"\/blog\/its-madness-out-there-staying-sane-in-a-world-that-feels-unsteady\/","urlTitle":"its-madness-out-there-staying-sane-in-a-world-that-feels-unsteady","division":337118,"description":"It\u2019s easy to feel completely overwhelmed at the moment, but don\u2019t give up hope! You can train your brain to help you manage the doom and gloom. Take a look\u2026","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/b5niqmxmoox7ioeiw7qdolohkjtgc1ay5idu7oidasugj086.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/b5niqmxmoox7ioeiw7qdolohkjtgc1ay5idu7oidasugj086.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":48746,"title":"JOIN A UNION: Solidarity is Power","url":"\/blog\/join-a-union-solidarity-is-power\/","urlTitle":"join-a-union-solidarity-is-power","division":337118,"description":"Although the many injustices and notable public protests highlight that fairness across the globe is a work in progress, it\u2019s easy to forget that many of the basic rights we take for granted in 2025, particularly in the work place, have been fought for by ordinary people.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ydi3qwc6wzdphjb25jpxtwcyzphumki4tvtjck2rtmhpjxyf.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855&z=1.2&fx=0.41666666666667&fy=0.41666666666667","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ydi3qwc6wzdphjb25jpxtwcyzphumki4tvtjck2rtmhpjxyf.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440&z=1.2&fx=0.41666666666667&fy=0.41666666666667"},"hidden":0},{"id":44187,"title":"THE SCANDAL OF BLOODSPORTS IN THE UK: Barbarism In The Modern Age","url":"\/blog\/the-scandal-of-blood-sports-in-the-uk-barbarism-in-the-modern-age\/","urlTitle":"the-scandal-of-blood-sports-in-the-uk-barbarism-in-the-modern-age","division":337118,"description":"Blood sports, including stag hunting, fox hunting and hare coursing, are cruel practices that inflict unimaginable suffering on wild animals under the guise of tradition. Despite legal bans, loopholes in the 2004 Hunting Act allow these barbaric activities to continue. Read our full blog to learn more about the reality of blood sports and how you can help bring them to an end.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/twaltizweg2ymfpraowonek9b82nnxrk9ynnsk3b2jftuw2v.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/twaltizweg2ymfpraowonek9b82nnxrk9ynnsk3b2jftuw2v.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}