As young adults in this day and age, we are both lucky and unlucky. Lucky, in the sense that everything is at our fingertips because factors like the internet and globalization are making it easier to connect and be aware about happening events all over the world. Unlucky, because it appears most of the time that we are caught up in these influences and rendered helpless; knowing of the terrible things going around the world and being unable to stop them.
Being college students also, this slight obligation is doubled. Being aware and well-informed about the world’s problems is part and parcel of our education because learning today has become a lot more than to pass tests and receive grades. The world is getting too small for you to not be conversant about what is happening in continents and areas other than your own.
I was born and raised in Nigeria but I go to college in California partly because I wanted to broaden my perspective and look at the world through different lenses. Let me just say, there is a lot to be seen. As the world moves forward in terms of technology, it seems to be moving backwards in terms of simple human compassion. There is an intense need for all of us to be woke: conscious of the systems of inequalities our various societies operate upon. As young people, we are responsible for challenging these systems through what we choose to talk and write about on our internet platforms. I believe there’s surely more to rant about to the world than the little struggles than accompany the knowledge of our privileges. Did you know that a recent graduating high school student was prevented from being at his ceremony despite being the freaking valedictorian just because his “facial hair wasn’t shaved”?! I could go deeper into this and flesh out how factors like his race might have played a part (surprise! he was black) but I just want to express that outrages on such matters are what the world needs and not complaints about being called Becky. I’m simply calling for a level of maturity where we are no longer annoyed by people and things on the internet. Of course, personal problems can be/are legit but a lot of rants I see online have to do with an entitled person being put in an uncomfortable box where they have to *gasp* c h e c k their privilege.
The state of being woke involves familiarizing yourself with the world’s issues and moving on to “stay woke” which means you do your part to reorient yourself. I say everyone is required to be woke because the world is moving past the acclaimed “ignorance” of one’s privileges. Being woke is not just for the people who seem to have targets as skins and thus HAVE to be, but for everyone who wants to see active change in our societies. How about we get on some type of woke wagon and pull systematic injustices to pieces?
