On Aug. 4, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow discussed on her show how the United States has effectively moved beyond the mere threat of being under an authoritarian government. In her comments, Maddow basically said (and I paraphrase) that "the country is awake now… We are now here," referring to the current state of American society under the rule of President Donald Trump.
The comment that “the country is awake now” made me think of how the word “woke” has recently become a pejorative term. It’s fascinating how far it has moved from its original meaning and purpose.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “woke” is defined as being “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).” As a term that originated in African American vernacular through slang and musical expression, “woke” meant that one remains keenly aware of the dangers faced in a society that doesn’t value a Black person’s humanity, much less a Black person’s rights as an American citizen.
As Ishena Robinson, then with the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, explained in 2022:
Black people have never been silent—or at a loss for innovation—when articulating demands for justice. In fact, the use of “woke” as an in-group signal urging Black people to be aware of the systems that harm and otherwise put us at a disadvantage is documented as far back as the 1920s.
Robinson went on to discuss how the Jamaican activist and philosopher Marcus Garvey exhorted Black people to “wake up” during his efforts to expand Pan-Africanism. According to her, by 1938 the phrase moved toward becoming part of the Black lexicon when it was included in the lyrics of the song “Scottsboro Boys” by blues musician Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter; the song tells of the wrongful conviction of four young Black men accused of raping a White woman in 1931. The song advises listeners that if they go to Alabama, to “be a little careful when they go along through there, to stay woke, keep their eyes open.”
In the past, for African Americans to tell someone to “stay woke” was an attempt to protect that person from the dangers of Jim Crow. To many, the phrase continues to serve as a warning to people to guard their dignity and, in many cases, to guard life itself. Given the gravity of that warning, it is appropriate to examine the admonishment from a spiritual perspective. After all, Scripture leads us to many narratives on keeping watch and staying on guard. Two passages stand out to me here:
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”
(1 Corinthians 16:13)
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
(1 Peter 5:8)
In my interpretation, these passages suggest that being “woke” is a condition to be valued. Indeed, the term evokes a sense of vigilance and being prepared for what is to come. However, cultural and political events in recent years have seemed to place the term in a negative light. Moreover, it’s evident that social media has helped to transform “woke” from a term used primarily within the Black community to one of many words used, as Robinson notes, “beyond the radius of the communities in which they were formed.”
As it started being used to address a wide range of social justice issues, the backlash against “woke” as a concept did not take long to emerge. A significant example is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act,” which amplified the erroneous notion that “wokeness” has “created a false sense of guilt among those who were not responsible for [historic injustices].”
Legislation like this is precisely the reason that those committed to social justice should defend being “woke” and resist the backlash. It is precisely the sort of anti-Black discrimination that we must be on guard against.
In its discussion of Catholic social teaching, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops describes its principles as “a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society.” In other words, as Catholics we should always seek ways to bring about positive change in the world. That involves educating ourselves about what is truly going on in the world and being honest about injustices, how they occur, and our collective responsibility therein.
Indeed, the corporal works of mercy—which Catholics are required to perform—demand that we courageously be on the lookout for opportunities to serve Christ. Given that mandate, we would indeed do well to “stay woke.”
Douglas M. Stringer, JD, is a business, political, and government relations consultant at Session Law Firm, P.C. in the Washington metropolitan area and is a proud member of St. Augustine Catholic Church. A native of Kentucky and the Archdiocese of Louisville, he’s an avid fan of the Louisville Cardinals and still follows his alma mater, Trinity High School.
Douglas M. Stringer, JD, is a business, political, and government relations consultant at Session Law Firm, P.C. in the Washington metropolitan area and is a proud member of St. Augustine Catholic Church. A native of Kentucky and the Archdiocese of Louisville, he’s an avid fan of the Louisville Cardinals and still follows his alma mater, Trinity High School.
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