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“Ugh, you have an opinion on everything.”
If you’re socially aware, you’ve heard this along with a groan or an eyeroll too many times for you to even bother counting. You don’t particularly disagree with that statement, but you definitely don’t see an issue with it. Hey, you weren’t always this way, though. You became socially conscious through a process, and gaining strong opinions on many topics was just a natural byproduct.
Most progressive, liberal individuals became socially aware at one single point in time. There is almost always a distinctual epiphany or “aha” moment in this development… the moment where he or she becomes woke.
You might have already heard of the term woke, and it might suit you, or it might annoy you. Here is the top rated definition of being “woke” on Urban Dictionary:
After research and experience, I personally define “woke” as:
Woke: A state of awareness and understanding of prejudices, biases and injustices affiliated with surrounding populations.
Although this term is now common slang, the roots of the term woke are embedded in Black social justice movements.
During the protests and events in Ferguson 2014 that were responding to the unjust shooting of Michael Brown, the hashtag #staywoke blossomed. The hashtag was used in many posts affiliated with the Ferguson events, usually warning others of injustices and the dangerous racism occurring. This terminology is still frequently used in the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
Woke has transitioned into a more mainstream term in our society today. This consciousness of a community’s injustices is usually a gradual process. The first steps to becoming aware usually start like this:
1. A Catalyst
Growing up, we aren’t usually taught about the institutionalized racism in the United States. We weren’t told that women aren’t seen as equals in our society. Usually, we become aware of social inequalities through a person, place or media.
Blogging can be an excellent tool in gaining full social awareness. Hearing a diverse array of opinions can truly help you adjust your perspective, and it allows you to consider many different stances on topics that you hadn’t considered before. Tumblr has been the source of many social consciousness trends. Its high popularity allows for a vast amount of opinions to circulate, and “reblogs” further enforce the pressing, current topics.
A friend or “woke model” can usually guide you into your awakening without you even knowing it. Friends are some of the people you trust the most, and they can unconsciously unravel the layers of your unawareness just by hanging out with you. To open someone’s eyes to corruption and “hush-hush” topics is a great feeling, because in doing so, you are assisting in someone’s awakening.
2. Current Events
Learning about events in our history also assists someone in becoming aware, as real-life injustices can jump-start one’s social consciousness. Learning about these situations can help to put matters into perspective. Some recent occurrences in our society that demand questioning of our society’s institutions and biases are: Ferguson, the Flint water crisis, mass shootings, Muslim “terrorist” stereotyping and so much more. Tragic, unjust occurrences like these really force one to look in the mirror.
3. Knowing Your Role
After realizing the injustices, you begin to see your own role in these conflicts. You start to question if you’re the oppressor or perpetrator of injustices, and this truly aids in discovering who you really are. If you lacked empathy before you were aware of social issues, there is no way that you do now.
The eye rolls and dirty looks all become worth it after you can feel satisfied with the kind of person that you are.
Becoming aware of my surroundings and digging deeper into issues that were less transparent than I thought helped mold me into a person who doesn’t mind looking at herself in the mirror.