May 19, 2025 · Woke is a slang term that has made its way into the mainstream from some varieties of African American English. In AAE, awake is often rendered as woke, as in, “I was sleeping, but now …

Woke is an adjective derived from African-American English used since the 1930s or earlier to refer to awareness of racial prejudice and discrimination, often in the construction stay woke.

Jan 5, 2026 · Originally, woke came from Black American vernacular and meant exactly what it sounds like: being awake. As in, aware. Paying attention. Specifically, being conscious of racial injustice and …

Dec 20, 2023 · Typically, “wokeness” and “woke ideology” are terms of abuse, used against a variety of practices that, despite their diversity, have a similar character. Often, what is dismissed as “woke”...

Jul 19, 2023 · One word has become unavoidable on the campaign trail — woke. But what does it really mean and where does it come from? The word has a long and serious history in Black culture.

Jan 31, 2025 · What is the definition and origin of 'woke'? The term "woke" used to have a different meaning. It was first used by Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey as early as 1923. "Woke" was …

Mar 7, 2025 · What does it mean to be "woke"? Today, someone who is "woke" is someone who is aware of the social injustices occurring around them.

Jan 27, 2026 · In practice, "woke" is a polysemous cultural shorthand: historically anchored in Black vernacular as vigilance against injustice, later institutionalized as an ethic of social awareness, and …

Sep 30, 2025 · The term “woke” originated in Black culture as awareness about racism and injustice, with roots traced to Marcus Garvey in 1923. Artists like Erykah Badu revived the term in the 2000s, …

Sep 6, 2025 · “Woke” originally arose in early 20th-century Black American culture to stay aware of racism, whether it takes form in bold statements or microaggressions, encouraging people to stand …