Just read an article that asked the question, When did woke become a four-letter word? I have that same question.  You see I was a child in the late 50’s and 60’s. I grew up in the Jim Crow south and the Civil Rights Movement. I remember that word being used and it was used to mean what it meant; be alert, aware

Considering I grew up in the town where KKK grand wizard lived it was imperative that every black person had to be woke, i.e. aware, alert. The training we children received about staying alert was necessary for survival but our parents had the wisdom to do it so we could enjoy our childhood. I learned how to observe my surroundings and know when I needed to prevent unintended offense to the white people and still be me.

We were very aware and alblacert when we were not in our own communities.  Neighborhoods were segregated then. Many of us are alive because we were woke. Yes, it was also used to reference awareness of social injustices and legal ramifications. But I never noticed people changing the word to be a negative thing like it has been in the last few years. In fact, I don’t remember that much attention being paid to the use of the word. More focus was on the actions in the Movement, Dr. King. More attention was paid to the word power. Power to the people.

The thought came to me why it was made to be a negative thing. When it was mainly used in the black community and as a slang, non-blacks didn’t really care. What we did and thought was dismissed. But now, our voices are heard and has weight .

The powers that be don’t want people to hear and understand.  So let’s make them fearful so they will think it means something more than being aware, alert. Basically, we don’t want you to pay attention to what I’m really doing. The weaponizing of the word did not deter us. We, most of us, became more aware , more alert. Standing over my stove I realized, therein lies the power they are afraid of. Our awareness is our power. Your awareness is your power. Every person who is paying attention and using their own mind to process what they see and here is the danger. Every thinking person holds the power. That’s the fear. Lets make woke mean something other than aware. Throw in fascism, Marxism, all of the trigger words that threaten democracy. Label those thinking people as anti-American if they are not extremely conservative. Label those thinking people anti-Christian because they dare to question actions that are not biblical, not really Christ-like. When you see, you see. That’s what they are afraid of. Loss of control and power because you see.

You are Woke.