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dark woke
dark woke
@jasmineforus, @aoc via TikTok
Culture > News

What Is Dark Woke? The Political Term Is All Over The Internet

Jordyn Stapleton

President Donald Trump has always been known for his brash attitude, a trait that has only been amplified since he got involved in politics. Ever since his first presidential campaign began in 2015, Trump has called his opponents names, tweeted countless caps lock-filled angry messages, and sold over two million blazing red “Make America Great Again” caps to solidify his brand. Trump has done such an effective job of uniting his supporters that MAGA has become something of its own political affiliation 

As MAGA, or “Trumpism,” continues to rise on the right, U.S. Democrats have struggled to maintain their base. Many of them have tried to remain diplomatic — think Michelle Obama’s quote from the 2016 DNC, “When they go low, we go high” — and work “across the aisle” with Republicans. But many critics believe this strategy is clearly not working. Democrats in Congress currently have record low approval ratings, and many Democratic voters have said they don’t think their representatives are doing enough to stand up to Trump as he implements a flurry of executive orders that impact millions of people. So, what can people on the left do to fight against Trumpism? For some young progressives, the answer is: become dark woke.

ICYMI, “woke” is a slang term that means being conscious of important social issues like racial equality and LGBTQ+ rights. In recent years, conservatives have used “woke” as an insult to progressive voters. An example of this is from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s 2022 election night speech: “We reject woke ideology. We will never ever surrender to the woke agenda.” Even on the left, “woke” is a divisive term, with some saying “wokeness” is just performative, and others calling out the appropriativeness of the term, which stems from Black culture.

And yet, some leftists online are reclaiming the term from the right to create dark woke, a name for progressives who aren’t focused on making nice, but on loudly voicing their discontent with Republicans.

@jasmineforus

MAGA can’t find any dirt so they have resorted to being outraged that I attended private school đŸ€Ż. I am me, unapologetically! GET A LIFE & start caring about how people are losing their jobs and our economy is tanking!

♬ original sound – Jasmine Crockett

GQ describes dark woke actions as “things that you wouldn’t normally say or do, made acceptable because they’re directed at Republicans.” An example is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez retweeting a Libs of TikTok video with the caption, “Oh, are you triggered? Cry more.” Essentially, dark woke isn’t interested in playing nice, but in meeting the opposition with an equal amount of fire. See also: Rep. Jasmine Crockett telling Elon Musk to “f*ck off.”

Many leftists who embraced dark woke have, of course, taken to the internet to share memes. One X user with the title “The DarkWoker” tweeted, “Tonight, #DarkWoke crashed another plane, and every day wokeness is not reinstated in this country, people will DEI.” Another X user, @linuxlover1969, posted a video of eggs being tossed into a dumpster with the caption, “I WILL KEEP DESTROYING EGGS UNTIL THE DEI QUOTA IS MET. WOKENESS WILL PREVAIL.” 

Dark woke is partly trolling, as is made clear in these examples, but there is a deeper message behind the trend. Progressives are expected to remain civil and calm, and are sometimes called out the instant they try to fight back about an issue. (See: conservatives using the phrase “so much for the tolerant left” against progressives who clap back when they share views that are racist, sexist, transphobic, and more.) 

@thedemocrats

priorities 😀

♬ admire the perc – !

Of course, following the Dark Woke trend alone won’t inherently make liberals any more successful in politics. But in a world filled with political uncertainty and fear, making jokes about cybertrucks or calling a photo of Elon Musk a “dick pic” can be small acts of resistance. Humor has historically been used as a way to fight against fascist governments, and dark woke shows that U.S. citizens are still fighting back, even in small ways.

It’s unclear if the left will fully embrace “dark woke” or if it will remain a brief internet trend, but it’s clear that many progressives are no longer “going high” when the opposition “goes low.” Instead, they’ll meet them right where they are.

Jordyn Stapleton has been a National Lifestyle Writer for Her Campus since February 2023. She covers a variety of topics in her articles, but is most passionate about writing about mental health and social justice issues. Jordyn graduated from CU Boulder in December 2022 with Bachelor’s degrees in music and psychology with a minor in gender studies and a certificate in public health. Jordyn was involved in Her Campus during college, serving as an Editorial Assistant and later Editor-in-Chief for the CU Boulder chapter. She has also worked as a freelance stringer for the Associated Press. Jordyn is currently working towards a Master of Public Health degree from the Colorado School of Public Health. Jordyn enjoys reading, bullet journaling, and listening to (preferably Taylor Swift) music in her free time. If she isn’t brainstorming her next article, you can usually find her exploring Colorado with her friends and silver lab puppy.