Woke. According to Urban Dictionary, the definition is: "A reference to how people should be aware of current affairs." People, students, in particular, use this term all the time when talking about news like the recent presidency or women's rights or racial inequality and white supremacy.
However, one thing I have noticed is that when students call themselves "woke," it seems to mean that they simply watch CNN and it allows them to feel superior.
While it is great that you are aware and actively talking about the recent issues, it also creates the idea that because you read the news, you have suddenly become better than others who have not. This comes as somewhat of a shock to many because reading articles does not mean you are suddenly progressive and you have all of the right opinions.
To me, being "woke" means being able to understand the world around you, actively fight injustices, and understand any privilege you may have.
In addition to this, I believe being woke does not include calling yourself this out loud. You shouldn't need to say it for people to know it. If people see you daily and know who you are, they should also see that you do all these things, so there is no need to tell them. Also, being woke does not mean having friends of different races or listening to music other than the stuff they play on the radio.
This is simply being human and does not deserve any kind of praise.
The term woke actually started with black activists in social media, but it then became somewhat of a joke for white people to use about a variety of things that it was not originally intended for. White people managed to take a term that was used to remind others of the racial and social injustices around them and make it into somewhat of a joke.
It has been used on Twitter for literally any relevant topic ranging from quoting vines to talking about favorite singers to new music. The term now doesn't mean as much as it once did and it doesn't mean the same things.
However, I do have to give some credit to the people who use it on Twitter. Some use it when talking about Black Lives Matter, whose mission is to "build local power and to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes." It is also used when talking about the current political climate and how important it is for citizens (mostly immigrants and people that aren't white, thanks to our current president) to be aware of their surroundings and exactly how they can protect themselves from getting into trouble.
Basically, don't call yourself woke. Actively participate in conversations about equality, understand your privilege, work towards bettering your society. That is what being woke really looks like.
