Donald Clarke: ‘Woke’ now belongs to the right. It will need to be prised from their cold, dead hands

The progressive movement's defining term, "woke," may be undergoing a significant adjustment, with prominent figures like U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez signaling a need for re-evaluation. Ocasio-Cortez recently quoted New York City council member Chi Ossé, who described the initial iteration of the movement as "crazyyyy."

Speaking on ABC News' "This Week," Ocasio-Cortez elaborated, stating that "rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today." This acknowledgment has been met with a sense of relief from some left-leaning media outlets, suggesting a broader recognition within progressive circles that the movement's earlier messaging may have been counterproductive or alienating.

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Rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today.

The term "woke" has a history rooted in Black vernacular, used for decades to signify awareness of social inequalities. It gained wider traction through social media, particularly during the 2014 Ferguson protests and surged in visibility in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. However, the term was quickly appropriated by the political right, often used pejoratively to criticize progressive ideals.

Ocasio-Cortez's comments appear to be an attempt to refine the movement's approach, akin to updating software. By focusing on "rhetoric," she suggests that the core project remains, but the language and methods may need to evolve to be more effective. This strategic recalibration aims to distance the movement from past criticisms while preserving its underlying goals of social progress.

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Woke 1.0 was crazyyyy.