Woke seems to be the buzzword of the moment. Somewhere around the early 2010’s I started hearing it in activist circles as a term originating in AAVE (waaay back almost 100 years ago), and meaning something like, aware of systematic injustice, particularly as it relates to race. It was largely abandoned when it started being used to mock those saying it in a serious fashion. I haven’t heard it much since then. The last idk six months or so it seems like it’s every third word I hear, particularly from conservatives gearing up for the 2024 election.

I just caught a clip of an author who completely failed to define it during an interview. (Bethany Mandel on Rising an online program from The Hill if anyone wants to give it a google).

So, my question is what does the word woke mean today?

What do you think of when you hear it?