Only Anecdotal

It has been less than one month since the inauguration, and the barrage of orders has come from on high at such a pace to shake up the world significantly. In the midst of this onslaught, I hear the criticism of “woke” ideologies.

Growing up, I heard a lot of things that I didn’t like. My dad was a construction foreman, union carpenter, and despite the diversity of workers, ethnic biases and harsh language were rampant on the sites–and many other places. Divisions were visible, and it had only been a few years since schools were divided by race. They still were, if then by economic realities instead of actual laws. As unpopular and impractical as busing was, it did make a difference. Affirmative action made a difference. The ADA made a difference. Biases became more muted, The casual slurs hit harder, because they were less common. This is not to say that biases were erased, not by a long shot, but the voices of people who previously had a small platform became more prominent. I grew up. It was a good thing. For someone like me, who first was fascinated by the diversity of cultures around the world, then facing disability in my family, I felt hopeful, even though the road still had miles of tough climbs ahead. I think that the better term for this road, this process, is not “woke.” It is “awakened.”