By disparaging 2020 protests as ‘Woke 1’, liberals are following the rightwing’s lead
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s co-opting of conservative language to discuss a movement against state-sanctioned killings of Black people is damning
TL;DR
- Liberal politicians are now referring to the 2020 social justice movement with terms like 'Woke 1,' indicating a shift away from previous stances.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has backtracked on her support for 'defund the police' and abolitionist ideas, calling them 'crazyyyyy' in hindsight.
- Critics argue that using the term 'Woke 1' adopts conservative framing that has been used to discredit Black liberation movements.
- The term 'woke' originated in Black American communities to signify awareness of white supremacy but was later co-opted by right-wing figures.
- Figures like Ron DeSantis and Ben Shapiro have used 'woke' as a pejorative to attack progressive policies and critical race theory.
- The article criticizes politicians like Ocasio-Cortez for using dismissive language, which is seen as dangerous given ongoing conservative attacks on Black rights.
- There is a concern that some Democrats are retreating towards party orthodoxy, diluting their progressive platforms to gain wider support.