Zone1 What is "woke?"

[Hector12]

I see woke people as those who maintain that racial differences in average ability do not exist, that they do not matter, or that "Race is only a social construct." Woke people are optimistic about human nature, and human potential.

These are respectable opinions. However, they need to be debated in a polite environment that respects facts that can be documented, and insights and conclusions that follow from these facts.

Unfortunately, woke people rarely submit their opinions to such an environment. Instead, they do what they can to suppress those with whom they disagree. In doing so, they indicate that they privately doubt the opinions they so loudly assert.

 

[MarathonMike]

Woke people believe they own morality and only their view is the correct view. Anyone disagreeing is, by default, a bad person who should be mocked and ridiculed for daring to challenge the "Woke" agenda.

 

[Sixties Fan]

I see woke people as those who maintain that racial differences in average ability do not exist, that they do not matter, or that "Race is only a social construct." Woke people are optimistic about human nature, and human potential.

These are respectable opinions. However, they need to be debated in a polite environment that respects facts that can be documented, and insights and conclusions that follow from these facts.

Unfortunately, woke people rarely submit their opinions to such an environment. Instead, they do what they can to suppress those with whom they disagree. In doing so, they indicate that they privately doubt the opinions they so loudly assert.

[If only you had looked up the meaning of the word rather than giving your opinion about it. Discuss the Meaning of it, not what it appears to be]

KPBS: What’s the origin of the word “woke?” When did it first start getting used?

Damariyé L. Smith: So there's a lot of things in language that have the same meaning, but just have a different terminology. I would argue that woke really starts around the early 1960s and '70s with the Black Power movement and civil rights issues of the time. It wasn't just called woke, it was called consciousness. And so consciousness or this idea of staying woke was about Black people, in particular, thinking about and questioning what are the ways in which our government is not necessarily protecting us as citizens, not just in the South, but everywhere.

How does the term “woke” go from being a term that really refers to consciousness and systemic thinking in Black activist circles in the 1960s, when do we start to hear the term more again in the 21st century?

Somewhere around 2012 and 2014 we started seeing stuff about “staying woke” because again, at this time, you have cell phone videos of people capturing police brutality. I would say around 2013 is when you kind of really start seeing that term being used more especially under the umbrella of Black Lives Matter. When social media becomes bigger and bigger and bigger, people start to pay more attention to it.

When does the word “woke” become more mainstream with more white people using it? And does that change the significance?

I would argue that a lot of white people started catching on after 2014 or 2015. Now at this time, we are getting near the end of this artificial post-racial idea, Obama is headed out of office and I think people are starting to come to grips that this President who a lot of people favored is no longer going to be there. And you also have the rise of somebody like Donald Trump. And so I know for sure in the academic community, this whole idea of woke starts to manifest. And then at that point, I'm not saying it starts in the academic community, but because people trust a lot of the leaders and thinkers there, and not just the people who write the papers, but also even public intellectuals. From there, you start having a lot of other white folks that's coming on the "everyday white folks," as I would say, and they start using the terminology like, “I'm woke, I'm white, but I'm woke.” You know what I mean?

There's a lot of things in language that have the same meaning, but just have a different terminology. I would argue that woke really starts around the early 1960s and '70s with the Black Power movement and civil rights issues of the time. It wasn't just called woke, it was called consciousness.

Damariyé L. Smith, assistant professor at San Diego State University

Does using it that way change the meaning of woke?

It definitely changes the significance because those folks who will say, "I'm woke,” particularly in public situations, are still the kind of people that will walk by Black people and not speak to them or say hello or anything like that. And so it starts to change its meaning because you see that in order for you to really understand what being woke is, you have to give up something. And for a lot of people, that's where it becomes hard. It's easy to put a hashtag. It's easy to post something on social media. But when you actually have to do something in actual practice, like, for example, changing your whole course content as a teacher because you want to be more inclusive. That's a very hard and risky place to be. I would argue that's definitely when it has again changed format because people can look at George Floyd, but they won't look at the everyday Black person and understand that they may not have been killed, but the harassment and all that kind of stuff continues to exist.

Mike Milton, our question asker, said he hears the word “woke” a lot on Fox News and other conservative media outlets. How did “woke” become something used to remind people to think critically about the way it’s being used now?

All words can be weaponized. The problem when you hear “woke” today, at least on Fox News, they see it as some kind of socialist agenda, at least that’s their perspective. And so, anything they deem incorrect is considered woke. When you say somebody is “woke” and you are just using it as a weapon, you’re not really taking into consideration this person’s expertise and knowledge of a particular issue.

Do you think people should stop using “woke?” Does it matter?

I don’t think it matters anymore. I think the best thing we can always do is take people to task on whatever their political positions. I understand that words change meaning over time, because all words are created from a particular cultural context. You can keep using the word, but whatever your political position that’s attached to this idea of “woke” or this woke ideology, are you able to sufficiently articulate about whatever your political stances are? Because that’s what matters. Demonstrate that you have some understanding because in my world, you can’t just put anything out there without actually going through deductive and inductive reasoning to really articulate and prove a point.

(full article online)

Let’s talk about it: What does 'woke' actually mean?

This is the first in a new KPBS series in which local experts answer audience questions about race and equity.

www.kpbs.org

 

[Sixties Fan]

aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)
But we will only succeed if we reject the growing pressure to retreat into cynicism and hopelessness. … We have a moral obligation to "stay woke," take a stand and be active; challenging injustices and racism in our communities and fighting hatred and discrimination wherever it rises.—Barbara Lee

… argued that … Brad Pitt is not only woke, but the wokest man in Hollywood … because he uses his status—and his production company Plan B—to create space for artists of color, with such films as 12 Years a Slave, Selma, and the upcoming film Moonlight.—Giselle Defares

Being woke to gender discrimination is difficult; it ruins things you love. Entire canons of art are rotten to the core with it.—Rachel Edelstein


—often used in contexts that suggest someone's expressed beliefs about such matters are not backed with genuine concern or action
There is never really a moment where a person of color doesn’t have to deal with discrimination, whether it be veiled and passive or as blunt as possible. So, woke white people, why can’t you step in?—Lauren SanchezEnter the age of the performatively woke brand. Politics has become a kind of fashion accessory for corporate America these days, a way to profit from protest.—Jon Gingerich"Fake woke" behavior arises. We put the hashtags on our social media. #Sayhername, #icantbreathe, #blacklivesmatter. And repeat. The problem is that the level of concern we express online doesn’t match the everyday behavior we exhibit.—Surayya Walters

also : reflecting the attitudes of woke people
woke values/language

In our newly woke times, there has been increased scrutiny of old films dealing with sensitive subjects. —Hannah Jane Parkinson

He wants to make The Wombles more "woke" so the characters are gender-fluid or of different races. —Liz Perkins


2
disapproving : politically liberal (as in matters of racial and social justice) especially in a way that is considered unreasonable or extreme
The national conservatives view today’s liberals as woke cultural warriors who pose an existential threat to the nation and its traditions.—Shadi Hamid

He’s built a social media brand on the right railing against "woke liberals" and supporting former President Donald Trump.—Marissa Martinez

The military is struggling to find new recruits to fill its ranks. … While the official reasons given by the military—including fewer face-to-face recruitments during the pandemic, and fewer young people who meet the physical standards required—likely play a role, some say it’s because the military is too "woke," turning off its normal constituency of young, conservative recruits.—Suzanne Bates

If there is any hope, it’s that voters are rejecting woke green goals. Already this has occurred in Sweden and Italy, where voters threw out left-wing governments …—Michael Shellenberger

'Woke capitalism' tends to be a term that critics use to refer to … portfolios that are built around environmental, social and governance issues like climate change or diversity.—Victor Reklaitis

Definition of WOKE

aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) —often used in contexts that suggest someone's expressed beliefs about such matters are not backed with genuine concern or action… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[TheProgressivePatriot]

I see woke people as those who maintain that racial differences in average ability do not exist,

What differences in “ average ability” do you think exist? A follow up question would be, if such differences to exist- such as Asians being good at math- to what extent it is due to culture, or educational efforts- as oposed to being somehow immutable or innate?

 

[Hector12]

What differences in “ average ability” do you think exist? A follow up question would be, if such differences to exist- such as Asians being good at math- to what extent it is due to culture, or educational efforts- as oposed to being somehow immutable or innate?

I believe that these differences are innate:

The average IQ for African-Americans was found to be lower than those for Latino-, White-, Asian-, and Jewish-Americans (85, 89, 103, 106, and 115, respectively, pp. 273-278). Failure to mention these data fosters the false belief that IQ tests are not predictive and are biased in favor of North Europeans.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.543.2771&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Efforts to close racial intelligence gaps have been expensive failures.

 

[Foxfyre]

I see woke people as those who maintain that racial differences in average ability do not exist, that they do not matter, or that "Race is only a social construct." Woke people are optimistic about human nature, and human potential.

These are respectable opinions. However, they need to be debated in a polite environment that respects facts that can be documented, and insights and conclusions that follow from these facts.

Unfortunately, woke people rarely submit their opinions to such an environment. Instead, they do what they can to suppress those with whom they disagree. In doing so, they indicate that they privately doubt the opinions they so loudly assert.

Previous definitions do not adequately describe what 'woke' is these days as the 'woke' are changing definitions of 'values', 'equality', 'gender' 'family' 'common sense' etc. etc. etc. as quickly as they can while declaring their point of view the only point of view that can be seen as righteous.

'Woke' is a rejection of anything--traditions, values, speech, customs, beliefs/point of view, etc.--that has made America unique and the greatest nation on Earth and declares it racist, sexist, several other 'ists' or 'phobic' as well as unfair, unjust, and unacceptable.

"Woke' demands that government, law enforcement, media, education, entertainment, scientific institutions etc. enforce their view of righteousness via use of the law and courts or media/entertainment industry to punish, cancel, ostracize, prohibit, remove, silence any heretics in their new religion.

It is the worst of George Orwell's "I984" on steriods.

 

[MarathonMike]

I believe that these differences are innate:

The average IQ for African-Americans was found to be lower than those for Latino-, White-, Asian-, and Jewish-Americans (85, 89, 103, 106, and 115, respectively, pp. 273-278). Failure to mention these data fosters the false belief that IQ tests are not predictive and are biased in favor of North Europeans.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.543.2771&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Efforts to close racial intelligence gaps have been expensive failures.

It's important to differentiate continental Africans and African-Americans. From several sources I've read African Americans average in the high 80s while continental Africans average in the low 70s.

 

[Hector12]

It's important to differentiate continental Africans and African-Americans. From several sources I've read African Americans average in the high 80s while continental Africans average in the low 70s.

That is because American Negroes usually have some white ancestry.

 

[MarathonMike]

That is because American Negroes usually have some white ancestry.

There are probably multiple reasons why African Americans outscore continental Africans.

 

[Hector12]

There are probably multiple reasons why African Americans outscore continental Africans.

White ancestry is the main reason. Also, American Negroes benefit from living in a society dominated by whites.

 

[Kruska]

I see woke people ...

Come on, where did you see one? A wokie is an individual who is woke and they are living on the planet Kashyyyk.

 

[fncceo]

What is "woke?"​

The opposite of asleep?

 

[TheProgressivePatriot]

I believe that these differences are innate:

The average IQ for African-Americans was found to be lower than those for Latino-, White-, Asian-, and Jewish-Americans (85, 89, 103, 106, and 115, respectively, pp. 273-278). Failure to mention these data fosters the false belief that IQ tests are not predictive and are biased in favor of North Europeans.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.543.2771&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Efforts to close racial intelligence gaps have been expensive failures.

First of all, this racist tripe and its author are more than a little contoversial

Race, Evolution, and Behavior - Wikipedia

The book was generally received negatively, its methodology and conclusions being criticized by many experts. The aggressive marketing strategy also received a lot of criticism. The book received positive reviews by some researchers, many of whom were personally associated with Rushton and with the Pioneer Fund which funded much of Rushton's research.[2] The book has been examined as an example of Pioneer's funding of scientific racism,[2][3] while psychologist Michael Howe has identified the book as part of a movement, begun in the 1990s, to promote a racial agenda in social policy.[4]

It should be noted that environmental factors play a significant role in IQ scores and the IQ gap between races has indeed narrowed

The Black-White Test Score Gap: Why It Persists and What Can Be Done (brookings.edu)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data on 17-year-olds show that the reading gap narrowed more than two-fifths between 1971 and 1994. The math gap has also narrowed, though not as much. Five major national surveys of high school seniors conducted since 1965 show the same trend. So do surveys of younger students. The gap narrowed because black children’s scores rose, not because white children’s scores fell.

Second, even IQ scores clearly respond to changes in the environment. IQ scores, for example, have risen dramatically throughout the world since the 1930s. In America, 82 percent of those who took the Stanford-Binet test in 1978 scored above the 1932 average for individuals of the same age. The average black did about as well on the Stanford-Binet test in 1978 as the average white did in 1932.

Third, when black or mixed-race children are raised in white rather than black homes, their pre-adolescent test scores rise dramatically. These adoptees’ scores seem to fall in adolescence, but this could easily be because their social and cultural environment comes to resemble that of other black teenagers.

It should also be noted , there are limits to what the IQ score means

What Does Your IQ Score Mean? | IQ Score Ranges & Average Score (healthgrades.com)

Some researchers say IQ tests fail at their premise; that traditional conceptions of intelligence don't include all the ways we are smart. Researcher Howard Gardner, who recently retired from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, theorized there are multiple intelligences, most of which aren't assessed in typical IQ tests. These intelligences include mathematical, verbal, visual-spatial, physiological, naturalistic, self-reflective, social and musical aptitudes. Other theorists say EQ, or emotional intelligence is as important to success as IQ.

Thank you for proving that the crusade against “woke” is an attempt to pepetualte racism

 

[Hector12]

First of all, this racist tripe and its author are more than a little contoversial

Race, Evolution, and Behavior - Wikipedia

Professor J. Philippe Rushton and Charles Murray have often been denounced. They have never been refuted. Their assertions are thoroughly documented and obvious to those with extensive experience with the different racial groups.

I disagree with Rushton and Murray on minor issues that are unimportant to the central thrust of their writing.

Guidance counselors know that children who score poorly on IQ tests at the age of seven continue to score poorly in later grades, and that they perform poorly academically in later grades.

Those who claim that an improved environment can do much to improve IQ scores and academic performance continue to lack evidence to prove their assertions.

 

[ActionJackson]

What is "woke?"​

It's another term for stupid, deranged, confused, misinformed, and mislead folks.

 

[TheProgressivePatriot]

What is "woke?"​

It's another term for stupid, deranged, confused, misinformed, and mislead folks.

Holy fucking shit on a shingle! Why are you snowflakes so fucking frightened by a little word that you don’t even understand but somehow think that it represents everything that you abhor? And why do you think that? Oh right...because you have been told to think that!

 

[TheProgressivePatriot]

Professor J. Philippe Rushton and Charles Murray have often been denounced. They have never been refuted.

I just did!

 

[ActionJackson]

Holy fucking shit on a shingle! Why are you snowflakes so fucking frightened by a little word that you don’t even understand but somehow think that it represents everything that you abhor? And why do you think that? Oh right...because you have been told to think that!

 

[Hector12]

I just did!

Only in your imagination.