Dakota Beacon

Any discussion of woke must begin with a definition. According to Merriam-Webster, “Woke is a slang term that is easing into the mainstream from some varieties of a dialect called African American Vernacular English… [or Black English]. Awake is often rendered as woke, as in, ‘I was sleeping, but now I’m woke.’ But stay woke and woke became part of a wider discussion in 2014, immediately following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The word woke became entwined with the Black Lives Matter movement; instead of just being a word that signaled awareness of injustice or racial tension, it became a word of action. Activists were woke and called on others to stay woke.”

Wikipedia states, “Woke … is a term that refers to awareness of issues that concern social justice and racial justice. It is sometimes used in the African-American Vernacular English expression stay woke. Woke resurfaced in 2014 during the Black Lives Matter movement as a label for vigilance and activism concerning racial inequalities and other social disparities such as discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, women, immigrants, and other marginalized populations.”

Activists alone cannot lay claim to wokeness. As a mindset, woke quickly spread into the American workplace, schools, and other institutions as a means to promote “anti-racism” and correct “social injustice.” “Wokeness” has become the nomenclature for the ideology or mentality of leftists on college campuses, at protests, and on social media. Concepts like “unconscious bias” and “internalized racial superiority” found their way into everyday conversation.

Following the death of George Floyd, books such as White Fragility rose in popularity. “Anti-racist” training programs saw a massive increase in demand in corporate America and governments at all levels. Pervasive trends under the guise of equality – and especially equity (not the same thing) -- made diversity training in corporate America, government, and schools a pernicious, divisive, and destructive contrivance. Wokeism demands equity – the quality of treating individuals based on their needs and requirements. It seeks to destroy norms and to redefine words. Instead of reducing racism, this new anti-racism is just racism by a different name. Truth becomes malleable based on power and who drives the narrative. As one might suspect, wokeism and the woke revolution are not a grassroots movement.

A prevailing view holds that, at its core, wokeism is a Marxist-inspired movement that began with good intensions. Well-intentioned people wanted to curtail racism and social injustice. The movement has morphed into an authoritarian craze seeking to silence all those who disagree. Initially, control was imposed through social humiliation. As with all authoritarian movements, the woke graduated to violence using Antifa and Black Lives Matter thugs as foot soldiers. In fact, anti-racism becomes a con and wokeness advocates con artists.

But, there is an alternative view. A person for whom I have much respect as an intellectual tour de force is Victor Davis Hanson of the Hoover Institute. He has written eloquently on wokeism and he will in no way dignify the roots of wokeism as Marxist. In his view, and I tend to agree, “Wokeness is not really about fairness for minorities, the oppressed, and the poor… It is mostly a self-confessional cult of anointed bullies, and hypocrites of all races and genders, who seek to flex, and increase, their own privilege and power.”

For celebrity billionaires, multimillion-dollar athletes, and corporate CEOs “wokeism is an insurance policy. The louder the damnation of American culture, the more likely a career will be saved or enhanced.” In truth, “They utter not a word about Chinese re-education camps, the destruction of Tibetan culture, or the strangulation of Hong Kong’s democracy.”

In his quiet way and measured tone he goes on to explain, “Wokeness is classist and elitist. Those who made or inherited a fortune, got the right degree at the right school, made CEO or military four-star rank, live in the right ZIP code or know the right people believe they have earned the right to decide what is moral for their inferiors.” They have created a vocabulary for “the peasants and losers who must do as they are told.”

From either point of view, Marxist or anointed bullies, intentionally or otherwise, family, faith, and culture are placed at risk. Breaking down these three ultimately ensures compliance to the dictates of an elite.

Wokeism is a full-on attack on Western Society. It is everywhere and is now threatening to end freedom of speech and thought. It has become impossible to speak out without fear of damaging a career or incurring physical harm.

The objective of this piece is to encourage the reader to put the brakes on the stupidity and false narrative of wokeism. Second, the background offered above should provide some ammunition with which to confront wokeism in conversation. Third, this piece should encourage the reader to undertake some research of their own. Keep notes, observe inconsistencies, and identify lies.

Our culture and country are at stake.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).