Woke, Another Perspective

By Sarah Daley (As published in The Union)

Thea Hood’s column Woke (The Union Ideas & Opinions, 06/10) is a good example of how two people can interpret the same information differently. It seems that this discussion is about whether or not these racial and social justice issues exist, and if they do, how we should resolve them.

First, we need to discuss a new additional meaning of the word “woke.” Meanings of words change over time, and according to the Miriam Webster dictionary, woke also means “being aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).” This is the meaning I will be using throughout this column.

I agree that all people regardless of their racial heritage belong to the human race. That does not mean that racism does not exist. Don’t take my word for that since I am white, but read the following works by black Americans: Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste, Ta-Nehsi Coates’s Between the World and Me, Elie Mystal’s Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness. These authors explain that racism still exists but has changed from being overt to being much more subtle. They describe what their experiences are as black people in this country, how these experiences are different from white people’s, and why the idea of being color-blind is a fantasy.

Progressive liberals believe that social justice issues such as racism and poverty exist, and that we need the government to find solutions to these problems. Our agenda is to strengthen individuals, families, and our democracy by advocating for policy changes and laws that will make it easier for those in the lower socioeconomic bracket to succeed. We also acknowledge that black Americans still have economic and political barriers that impede their success, and federal laws would make it easier for them to have the same level of political, economic, and educational opportunities that white Americans have.

This does not mean we are trying to turn our country into an authoritarian communist government. We believe that social programs can coexist in a capitalist system. As Maurice Isseman, professor of history at Georgetown University, explained on the Times website, Democratic socialists do not want “ a violent overthrow of capitalism, but [are] working within the system through legal and peaceful means [such as] electoral and social movements.” Another explanation on the website Help: Helping to Simplify Economics states, “Democratic socialism in the West involves participating in democracy to seek an incremental reduction in inequality. It implies a mixture of public sector intervention and private enterprise. Communism is a political and economic ideology – closely associated with the state Communism of the Soviet Union and China. It aimed at state control of the economy to attain greater equality – often at the expense of individual liberty.” Thus communism is the antithesis of Democratic socialism.

I am proud to be woke. This term is active and promotes positive energy as it encourages people to develop solutions that will ensure the best possible life for everyone in this country. We are excited to help create a better world for individuals, families, communities, and our country by ensuring that all Americans have their basic needs met.

I hope my explanation of woke will help conservative people to be able to understand this term from our perspective and will help us to find common ground so that we can communicate with each other better. If you have different ideas about how to offer “real help” then please explain your strategies and why they are better than progressive ones. Even if we disagree on some issues and strategies, we can still find ways to share our common humanity.

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