"Woke" isn't real. it is just a made up word ... I wish we had a real critical media.

[Botany]

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Goes to War Against ‘Woke Math’

https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-gov-ron-desantis-goes-to-war-against-woke-math-in-speech-to-moms-for-liberty-in-tampa?ref=home

[MineralMan]

1. Hmm...I woke up this morning with the realization that

I did not know all the meanings of many words.

It is a real word. It has a real meaning. It has become an adjective through usage.

Synonyms: Aware, awakened, realistic, factual.

On the other hand, Ron DeSantis doesn't understand the word, so he misuses it.

[Botany]

3. I get it as in "I woke up this morning" and that is real but not as some kind of vague adjective ...

... to put down being political correct. It is made up just like CRT and the treat we have to deal with
from some 17 year old trans girl playing on her high school softball team.

[MineralMan]

5. Like many words, the right-wingers have grabbed this word

and are using it against us. They didn't invent it, though. It has been used for years to mean awake to the reality of one's one privilege and recognizing that others do not have the same privilege.

It's a perfectly good word. "Liberal" is another such word the right-wingers have grabbed and misused. There are many others, as well.

[Botany]

10. Cancel Culture is another such phrase

n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. It's not "made-up", the meaning has just been hijacked by Republicans

In 2017, articles could talk about the "Woke Vote" organization, and it was about educating voters, and avoiding voter suppression:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029978888

https://www.al.com/opinion/2017/12/for_one_stunning_night_we_were.html

It appears to have faded away around August 2020: https://wokevote.us/

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. The use of "stay woke" as an exhortation to think critically and look for the truth has a long and

storied history; its origins are in the Black community and has roots in the early 20th century. Just because the right uses it sarcastically and tries to dilute its meaning doesn't mean it's neither valid nor useful.

[NCDem47]

6. Repubs use the word as a slur.

And the loooooove to add dripping distain and disgust when they pronounce it.

Literally like listening to nails on a chalkboard. DeathSentence is the absolute worst at it.

It's also thinly veiled racism.

[Sympthsical]

7. All words are made up

Language evolves. Eventually, you just have to go with context.

Republicans use the word as a way to object to social justice issues or diversity being artificially inserted into content or enforced in order to promote an ideological viewpoint. There's some bleeding over of what used to be referred to as PC.

That's literally what they mean. It isn't a mystery or a complex puzzle to be solved.

This "woke math" stuff started when a math book somewhere had some real weird Maya Angelou stuff in it. Real, real weird. I think the problems were posted on DU at the time, and people generally were agreed that it was more than passing strange it was in a math book. Things about the author experiencing sexual abuse and being a prostitute earlier in her life. DeSantis latched onto it, of course, and is using the opportunity to take things much further, as is his general way.

Never let a small bit of stupid go without taking advantage and using it to indict a much larger issue. It is, unfortunately, effective politics. DeSantis is very good at doing this. That's why he worries me. He knows what game he's playing.

[jcgoldie]

8. they used to call it "politically correct"

Just a boogeyman for people who want an excuse not to respect others' identities.

[greenjar_01]

9. Pssst

All words are just made up.

[dawg]

11. The Republican Party wants to demonize empathy and compassion.

They started by mocking us as "bleeding-heart" liberals.

They progressed to calling us "politically correct", and many people who are ostensibly on our side fell for it to some degree.

But "woke" is a much better term for them to use. You know, 'cause of how "black" it sounds.