By Patrick Bertone-Haywood
February 20, 2025
What is “Woke”? Is it a call to action or is it a symbol of division? Depending on who you ask, you may get differing responses.
In current times, the term has garnered a divisive reputation. Perhaps not surprisingly, we needn’t look further than the current landscape of our own modern society for an example of this divide in discourse.
It is important to note the documented origins of the word, which is derived from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), where it was used to refer to a form of cultural consciousness. Yet the word has clearly shifted meaning over time. So how do people perceive the word in current times?
In order to gain responses to this question, a student and professor from MSU were asked two separate questions based on their unique backgrounds, and their answers were illuminating.
When asked in what context the word “woke” is heard most commonly, MSU student Sydney Keenan, had this to say.
“Most recently, I’ve heard “woke” being used to describe the “woke mind virus.” I get the sense that it is heavily negatively connotated and used by conservative-minded individuals to accuse others — such as LGBTQ+ groups — of being “infected” with said virus, implying that these other people are sick or otherwise damaged.”
Definitely a far cry from its roots in AAVE. Keenan then elaborated on the specifics of how “woke” is being weaponized by certain groups, stating that some groups seem to insinuate that being “woke” is “negative” or “unnatural.”
After hearing Keenan’s perspective, Writing, Rhetoric, & Cultures (WRAC) department professor Danielle Nicole Devoss shared her own views. When asked what she believed the true meaning of “woke” to be, Dr. Devoss mentioned a 2022 Washington Post article in which the DeSantis administration provides a definition for the word “woke”: “The belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”
It’s clear there is no easy route to a unanimous agreement on what the word means. In the end, perhaps the more important question to ask is how will society choose to use this word in the coming decades? Will it fade with time or become a larger part of global culture? Only time will tell.
Patrick Bertone-Haywood is a second-year graduate student in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures (WRAC) program. His interests mainly revolve around media adaptations and the rhetorical implications of these adaptations. From video games to podcasts, he earnestly investigates these genres and their “rules.”