what does woke stand for

The term "woke" originally comes from African-American English, meaning being awake or alert to racial prejudice and discrimination. Historically, it referred to a heightened awareness of social injustices, especially those affecting Black Americans, such as systemic racism and police violence. The phrase "stay woke" was used as early as the 1930s, with notable usage by blues singer Lead Belly in a 1938 song urging awareness of racial dangers. Over time, "woke" expanded beyond racial issues to broadly signify awareness of social inequalities including sexism, LGBTQ rights, and other progressive causes. It gained popularity in the 2010s notably with the Black Lives Matter movement and was adopted by younger generations and progressive activists. However, from around 2019, "woke" has also been used sarcastically and pejoratively, especially by conservatives, to criticize perceived over-zealous or performative social justice activism. In summary, "woke" stands for being aware of and attentive to social and racial injustices and inequalities, particularly those impacting marginalized groups, although its meaning and connotation vary across different social and political contexts.