Language evolves, and few words illustrate that better than "woke." Originally, woke simply meant being awake to injustice, particularly racial injustice. One of the earliest recorded uses appeared in 1938, when the blues musician Huddie Ledbetter, aka Lead Belly, advised young Black Americans to "stay woke" in his song about the Scottsboro Boys. His message was straightforward: remain alert to discrimination, injustice, and the realities of the world around you.
Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include awareness of broader social inequalities. More recently, however, woke has become a highly contested political label. For some, it still represents awareness and social responsibility. For others, it has become a catch-all term used to criticise ideas or initiatives relating to race, gender, diversity, or inclusion, and often without a clear or consistent definition. I think this shift tells us something important as words are powerful because they shape how we understand the world. When the meaning of a word changes, so does the conversation surrounding it.
