Is ‘woke’ broke? Not really

In her November 9, 2024 New York Times column, Maureen Dowd, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, stated: “Some Democrats are finally waking up and realizing that woke is broke.” Dowd was writing about how the Democratic Party's embrace of elitism, hyper-political correctness, and identity politics has alienated working-class and minority voters, contributing to their struggles in connecting with a broader electorate.

In “The Good White, the Bad, and the Ugly—Contemporary Limits to Wokeness”, (2023) M. Lombaard, a PhD student in Philosophy and Sociology at the University of Johannesburg, argues that there is an emptiness to wokeness which remains as social awareness and does not translate to collective responsibility. According to Lombaard, wokeness, like social justice movements, is an ongoing collective process that cannot focus on or remain limited to the individual.

I’m discussing ‘wokeness’ in light of the recent, astounding comeback of President Donald Trump, who recently took his oath of office and immediately moved to roll back progressive or so-called ‘woke’ policies of the previous Biden administration. Trump issued an executive order to end workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government and private sector. He also reversed federal government policies aimed at promoting racial equity and protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. In particular, he mandated the use of the term 'sex' rather than 'gender' in government policies and required that identification documents, including passports and visas, reflect 'an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.'

This trend of challenging the idea of ‘wokeness’ appears to extend beyond the US. In the Philippines, Senator Risa Hontiveros, whose rising popularity seems to be unsettling power brokers, has been labeled ‘woke’ in a pejorative sense. Her authored measure, Senate Bill 1979 or the ‘Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy’ Act, has faced criticism from conservative groups, who accuse it of aligning with the so-called ‘woke’ and liberal policies of Europe --an unfounded claim by the way.

The bill simply aims to establish a national program to address the alarming rise in adolescent pregnancies, including cases involving children as young as 10 years old. Hontiveros has blamed the bill’s apparent doom on disinformation. There were reports that she and her group were booed by Duterte diehards during the Sinulog parade in Cebu last Sunday.

Hontiveros may be progressive, but she is also an astute politician, so I am confident she can recover from this setback. Following the withdrawal of signatures by her colleagues, she has already filed a substitute bill. Hontiveros said on Wednesday that the amendment by substitution aims to address the objections raised against the original bill.

This shows that Hontiveros is not an opportunist. Any politician of lesser mettle would have recoiled at the first sign that their popularity might be affected by an unpopular measure they are pushing. But Hontiveros is not one of them. She seeks to promote informed discourse on the issue and is willing to compromise based on concerns raised by well-meaning sectors. She is the kind of leader the ‘woke’ movement needs.

Let me be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with being ‘woke.’ So, what caused it to become a pejorative term, leading to the current trend of pushback against ‘wokeness’?

That brings us back to M. Lombaard’s arguments. Lombaard explains that 'wokeness', or being aware of social issues like racism and inequality, often remains at the level of personal awareness or virtue signaling. In other words, people may discuss these issues or make symbolic gestures but fail to take meaningful action to change the systems causing the problems. It is this perception of hypocrisy within the ‘woke’ movement that has tarnished its reputation.

Using white people in South Africa as an example, M. Lombaard argues that even if some white people recognize their privilege or the unfairness in society, it doesn’t mean much if they don’t take action to address inequalities. “Just being "woke" is empty if it doesn’t lead to actual changes in how society works, like sharing resources more fairly or addressing the lingering effects of apartheid,” says Lombaard.

He contends that real change requires collective action --people working together to challenge unjust systems and create a more equitable society. Wokeness must engage with people at the grassroots level, which is the essence of grounded politics. It should not be about looking good or feeling good about yourself because of your progressive ideas. It should focus on meaningful actions that improve the lives of everyone.