‘Awake to racial injustice’

A LibDem Perspective

Proud to be woke

The word woke didn’t just fall from grace - it was pushed by those who feared its consequences. As a result, few political terms have travelled so far so fast or become so twisted. 

Originating in 1930s African American slang to mean ‘awake to racial injustice’ it has been recast as a cultural insult, a shorthand mockery of anything from diversity and inclusion to renewable energy, welfare and social care. Its degradation mirrors a deeper social anxiety about change, identity, and who gets to define the moral centre of public life.

The journey of woke tells us something important about the state of our national conversation. At its heart are liberal instincts- paying attention to inequalities, listening to marginalised voices, and recognising that progress requires awareness. It is about taking responsibility, not claiming moral superiority. But as the political climate polarised, ‘woke’ became a convenient vessel into which conservative opponents could pour their frustrations.

The decline of woke reflects a broader unease with the complex challenges of modern life. Social media rewards outrage and extremism over nuance, and political debate increasingly resembles a shouting match rather than a shared search for solutions. Woke has become a catch-all insult signalling a retreat from thoughtful engagement. Instead of debating policies we debate caricatures. Instead of grappling with real social challenges- housing, climate, cost of living, inequality, democratic reform, we get stuck in a culture-war quicksand.  

This is not accidental. Turning woke into a slur is an effective way of delegitimising progressive ideas without addressing their substance. If you can dismiss environmental protection, racial equality, or LGBTQ+ rights as ‘wokenonsense’ you don’t ever have to explain why you oppose them or what you propose instead. It’s a rhetorical shortcut that avoids accountability.

But the story doesn’t end there. The very fact that conservative commentators have been so keen to undermine the progressive views promoted as ‘woke’ suggests a wider belief in fairness and equality as the bedrock of the society liberals hope for. It represents a conflict between self and society.

We need to step away from the culture-war framing offered by conservative commentators. Instead of defending or rejecting the word woke we should refocus on the values it once represented: empathy, evidence-based policy, a commitment to widening opportunity. These principles don’t need a slogan. They need action- from tackling the housing crisis to reforming our voting system so that every vote counts, to investing in green industries that secure both jobs and the planet’s future.

The degradation of woke may reflect a moment of social strain but it doesn’t have to define our path. Language evolves and so can we. If we choose dialogue over division, curiosity over cynicism, and solutions over slogans, we can rebuild a healthier public sphere. The term woke may be bruised beyond repair but the values behind it remain powerful- and they offer a path to a more open, confident and compassionate society.

Cllr Kathryn Field