If you’re a regular Twitter user, you may have noticed people describing themselves as woke, or advising others to stay woke. To be woke, says Cassandra Lord, a professor of historical studies and of women and gender studies at U of T Mississauga, is to be conscious of the racial and social inequities experienced by black people – in the past and today. The term has been used widely by the Black Lives Matter movement, and emerges from African-American vernacular as a call to action, she says.
While the term has taken on a life of its own outside of black communities, Lord says those who use it are typically demanding an examination of power and privilege, and a commitment to dismantling systemic forms of anti-black racism.
Recent Posts
For Greener Buildings, We Need to Rethink How We Construct Them
To meet its pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050, Canada needs to cut emissions from the construction industry. Architecture prof Kelly Doran has ideas
U of T’s 197th Birthday Quiz
Test your knowledge of all things U of T in honour of the university’s 197th anniversary on March 15!
Are Cold Plunges Good for You?
Research suggests they are, in three ways