What does 'woke' mean? Origins of the term, and how its meaning has changed

© Provided by The i Demonstrators from the Black Lives Matter movement from which woke emerged (Photo: Getty)

The term ‘woke’ is at the centre of many of the fiercest political and cultural debates at the moment. Some people say being woke is a sign of awareness to social issues, others whip out the term as an insult.

© Provided by The i Demonstrators protest in front of the police station in Ferguson, Missouri (Image: Getty)

Boris Johnson was asked if Joe Biden is “woke” following the inauguration of the new US president, with the Prime Minister acknowledging “there is nothing wrong with being woke” in his non-committal answer.

© Provided by The i The term refers to being aware of social movements (Image: Getty)

But what does the term really mean, and why do many people get fired up about its use?

What does woke mean? © Provided by The i The term refers to being aware of social movements (Photo: Getty)

Woke was officially added into the Oxford English Dictionary as an adjective in June 2017.

The dictionary defines it as “originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice”.

The Urban Dictionary, which published its original definition two years prior to the official dictionary, defines it as “being woke means being aware… knowing what’s going on in the community (related to racism and social injustice)”.

In other words, it means to be awake to sensitive social issues, such as racism.

What are the origins of woke?

Once upon a time, it simply meant the past participle of ‘wake’. While that has rapidly changed in recent years, the modern definition of the word isn’t that new in the US.

In 1962 the New York Times published an article of “phrases and words you might hear today in Harlem”, a neighbourhood in the northern section of the New York City where many African-Americans live.

The African-American novelist William Melvin Kelley wrote the earliest known use of the word under its new definition in an article titled, “If you’re woke, you dig it”.

Ten years later in 1972, a character in the Barry Beckham play Garvey Lives! says he’ll “stay woke” via the work of pan-Africanist, Marcus Garvey, with the line: “I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr Garvey done woke me up, I’m gon stay woke. And I’m gon’ help him wake up other black folk”.

When did Black Lives Matter use it? © Provided by The i Demonstrators protest in front of the police station in Ferguson, Missouri (Photo: Getty)

The term’s break into mainstream language came from the Black Lives Matter movement, which used the hashtag #staywoke in the wake of racial injustices spreading across the US.

In 2012, when unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead in Florida by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, the term was used heavily to raise awareness of the movement.

This has led to criticism by some that those who mock ‘woke’ are being insensitive to its modern usage and the plight of racism. Others argue that its specific link is not widely known.

Why do some people dislike the term?

It has become a common term of derision among some who oppose the movements it is associated with, or believe the issues are exaggerated. It is sometimes used to mock or infantilise supporters of those movements.

In January last year, the actor Lawrence Fox re-ignited an argument over the use of the term, after he branded an audience member who labelled him a “white privileged male” for saying he was “bored” of racism accusations.

He subsequently accused subscribers to woke views of being “racist”, telling Julie Hartley-Brewer’s radio show: “The wokist are fundamentally racist. Identity politics is extremely racist.”