How to Become “Woke” and Why It Is Becoming a Four-Letter Word

Is there a wrong way to be “woke?”

Woke is the new term for “politically correct.” It can be considered a movement to become politically correct and sensitive to others. Many people are opposed to the “woke” movement as they feel that it is people being flakey and overly sensitive. Likely, people are against it because they are in a position where they are not affected by harsh words and cruel daily realities of oppression. However, the matter is more complicated than that. There are people who within the woke movement take matters to the extreme where saying just about anything is offensive and having alternative views are disapproved and scorned. It can make a person who is attempting to be sensitive feel dejected and chastised.

DISCLAIMER: This post is not to be biased or provoke hate. It is not to point fingers or make accusations. It is not intended to identify any person or group of people as being or not being “woke.” The purpose of this post is to highlight how a concept that seemingly should be for the betterment of humanity is getting a horrific reputation and is being rejected by some. The information herein is to offer considerations for a “moderate middle,” for the lack of a better term.

The subject matter is sensitive, and some of the statements herein may be controversial, upsetting, or triggering. However, please keep in mind that Creole Bayou was created to be a safe haven for all, and hate and bigotry have no place here. The material is being offered as informative and will be presented in the most objective manner possible. However, some may find that I miss the mark in that presentation. I apologize in advance if that’s the case. I don’t mind disagreements or differences of opinion, but I do ask that all comments be respectful.

As always, I like to begin with the circumstances that inspired me to generate this post. Generally, I can point to something one of my close friends or colleagues has said or done. However, this time, I must point the finger at myself. Shame on me.

So, at the beginning of 2020, I like to think the world broke. I mean, how else can anyone explain what happened? Like many people, my world tilted upside down. There was so much confusion and anger and doom and gloom. After a few weeks, I had to find a safe space. I checked out from much of traditional and social media and purchased my first streaming service subscription where I could control the amount of negativity seeping into space. I didn’t have to worry with ads or news trailers or radio sound bites of death tolls or conspiracy theories on my social media feed. My attitude—as irresponsible as some people may have considered it—was let the world go crazy without me. I needed to preserve my mental health stability. Well, obviously, while in my own little space, I missed out on a lot.

As the world slowly began returning to normal, I decided to cocoon myself in my isolation a bit longer. While I did begin venturing back into the world of social media, I did so on a limited basis. I avoided much of the news, shied away from certain social media platforms, and limited my time surfing the internet. I thought that I would gradually reintroduce myself into the world. But the world had other ideas.

So, one day, I was speaking with a group of people I didn’t know very well. Someone used a term that I had used my entire life and was told that term was offensive. Now, the term that was used was not one that referred to a person, group of people, country, religion, or anything like that. It referred to a common room in most homes. And this wasn’t some room used for nefarious purposes. The room in question was “master bedroom” and extends to “master bathroom.” The issue, apparently, was the use of the word “master” to describe these rooms. The word “master” has its roots in slavery, and there has been a push to replace it with “primary.” Okay. Fine. I can do that. I have no complaints if that’s where things are going. However, I did have a problem with the person who had used the term being put on blast the way she was. How is someone supposed to know this? So, I said, “Hold up, one cotton-picking minute.” Oh, and why did I say that? I then was put on blast for the term cotton-picking—a term that I’d never given a second thought to its origins. A term that I never meant as demeaning or harmful. Again, I wasn’t upset with being corrected. My issue was, how was I supposed to know? Where was the rulebook?

Some months ago, I touched on the topic of “wokeness” and posed the question: Are we too woke to be woke? I find that in the month since then, I’m still asking the same questions. Who are the teachers, and how can one learn if he/she isn’t allowed to ask?

The issue I discussed several months ago stemmed from a person featured on a reality television show. The person brought up their sexuality and pronouns. Their storyline was developed around their gender identification and sexuality. Every time the person was on screen, one of these two issues was mentioned, and mostly mentioned by the person. As the storyline went, this person’s sexual orientation and gender identity were the main issues that affected all else happening in the person’s life whether it be getting a drink from a water fountain, shopping for a pair of genes, or picking out paint. These were the only issues shown by the producers. This isn’t to minimize or trivialize how serious these issues can be. However, a person is more than only gender identity and sexual orientation. Yet, this was the focus, and every conversation this person had was on this.

So, there came a time in the show when the person was to confront a loved one about not accepting/respecting their gender identity. The person confronted was very obviously confused. He did not understand the terminology or what was appropriate to say and not to say. And instead of the person making the complaint and putting his loved one on blast and using the conversation as a teaching moment, the person said that it was not their responsibility to explain their gender identity or sexuality to anyone. Yet, they were the person who brought it up…not their loved ones. The complainer was willing to proclaim there was a problem that needed to be resolved but, in the same breath, refused to disclose or discuss what the problem was. This person had the audacity to say his loved one needed to figure it out on his own. Well, that’s one way to never get anything resolved or make progress.

Back to the present. Later in the week, I was viewing a video profiling an author. The person making the video was dragging, and I do mean dragging, the author for filth. I turned in because I was curious as to what faux pas or misstep the author had taken, especially since the title of the video was extremely misleading. Turned out, the author had used a term that apparently had become dated. I was unaware that the term was no longer being used. Furthermore, I had never heard of the replacement. If someone had walked up on the street and said it to me, I would have stared at them with a stupid expression on my face and clueless. I thought, “Am I the only person this ignorant?” So, the next day at work, I began to ask coworkers if had they ever heard the term. Over the course of a week, I asked 56 people, and not a single person I asked had ever heard of this. Now, I recognize my sample population wasn’t random and considered indicative of the general population, but it does speak volumes about small pockets. I understand the trickle-down effect of starting with heavily populated areas and having them gradually move to smaller areas. Maybe that is how it should or used to work, but it does not seem to be a guarantee. Let me explain.

With the internet, much of the world has access to the same information at approximately the same time. However, this would mean the information would need to be placed on large or multiple platforms to reach the masses. What appears, and I could be wrong so don’t quote me, to be happening is this information is occurring on less than mainstream sites. So, yes, the information is there, but many people are unaware of where to locate it. Furthermore, how do the masses always know what is acceptable?

In a live stream, a content creator used the term “dwarfs,” and was called out by someone watching. The content creator who always attempts to be sensitive interrupted the stream to apologize but expressed that she thought she had used acceptable terminology. The content creator then reached out to persons in this community who informed her that using the term “dwarf” is preferred. Here is an example of how and why confusion exists. The content creator was told two different things—one by someone within the community who informed her that she is correct, and someone who may or may not (likely not) within the community who called her out for being wrong.

Here are the takeaways.

People do not and will not become educated unless others are willing to teach. It is impractical and unrealistic to expect people to learn the “rules” or what is “acceptable” on their own. People may not know what they are saying is unacceptable. If they do not know, they will not know to seek what is acceptable.“Wokeness” may be a grassroots movement, something that will take time and will need to be spread by word of mouth. It won’t happen overnight and not all people will receive the information at the same time.There needs to be consistency in what is “correct” and “incorrect.” Not having a designated go-to place for information, opens the door for confusion and misinformation being spread.What may seem “apparent” to one group of people may not be for another. When I was growing up, I thought a grilled cheese sandwich was a slice of cheese melted on a piece of bread in an oven or a microwave. I had been taught this and did not know it was incorrect. Therefore, I was not aware that it needed correcting. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I was made aware that it was two pieces of bread with cheese in between and fried on both sides in butter. Likely, I would have continued with this erroneous belief had I not accidentally happen across the correct information. When I stopped to think about a “grilled cheese sandwich” it made sense that it would involve the browning of the bread in a sandwich form as opposed to a “melted cheese.” But I had never stopped to think about it. I had no reason to. No one ever said anything. In fact, everyone around me had the same understanding. When I corrected my definition, I passed the information along. Others agreed that this new definition made more sense. The point is, something that seems to be apparent may not be until someone draws attention to the apparency. Yes, it sounds strange. Yet, how often do we accept something at face value without thinking about it because it has been communicated to us by someone we trust?Nitpicking is not going to work and will do more harm in moving the woke movement forward. People must feel free to speak without worrying about stepping on someone’s toes or feelings. Corrections are okay. However, putting someone on public blast without affording them the opportunity to learn is wrong. In the instance of the person who used the term master bedroom, she was speaking of designing an area in her home. The term “master” in the historical sense refers to a man who has servants or slaves working for him. However, the term also means main or principal. Additionally, it means having or demonstrating proficiency and/or great skills. So, are we to strike the word “master” from our language? Is it no longer appropriate to earn a master’s degree? Is it now a “primary” degree? Or does this rule only apply to areas of the home? The person who was speaking felt uncomfortable talking for the rest of the conversation. She didn’t even finish what she had been saying. A lighthearted conversation about interior decorating was derailed by the seriousness of a horrible period in history. This isn’t to minimize or trivialize the horrors of slavery. But let me just say that everyone involved in that conversation works very stressful jobs. The conversation was taking place during a break when people were taking a moment to relax and take their minds off work stresses. How horrible would it have been for the person who objected to the term being used to wait until the end of the conversation to say, “Hey, you know, people are moving away from using the term master to refer to rooms because it brings with it a historically negative connotation? The more generally accepted term currently is primary.” As opposed to saying, “Have you been living under a rock? No one calls it master anymore.”Coming off as self-righteous can shut down conversations and open dialogue quickly. Even if the person who is doing the calling out is justified and correct, being harsh right off the bat may make the offender defensive. Once a person goes into defense mode, they are no longer receptive to hearing or understanding alternative points of view. The saying “winning more bees with honey than vinegar” has merit.Not every “unwoke” person is bad. People can be in varying stages. For those who are at the beginning, they may often misstep or backslide. It takes a long time to unlearn what has been learned. Language is a habit. When someone asks, “How are you?” A common response is, “Fine. How are you?” We say this even when our worlds are crashing down around us. Why? Because it is a response we’ve learned to automatically give. When changing the language, a person must consciously reflect on the words. But often, when speaking, we are on automatic pilot and use default language. For example, have you ever told someone or been asked to “roll down the window” in a car with automatic windows? Dated terms can sneak into our vocabulary when we’re not paying attention. It doesn’t mean that the person does not care or isn’t trying. It can indicate that they are a work in progress and not always perfect.People can change. People want to change. However, they must be given the opportunity to change. It may take time.Freud said it best. “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Not everything can or needs to be redefined. Mental health professionals are encouraged/required to use “person-centered” or “people-first” language. The term “patient” was changed to “client.” At some point, it was determined that using the term “client” was demeaning. It was later changed to “consumer” which also was labeled as demeaning. Then, it was changed to “individual” which became confusing when writing reports, not to mention that also sounded odd. That was later changed to “the person being served” which is cumbersome to both say and write repeatedly. All of this was in an effort to avoid labeling. Yet, doctors have patients. Attorneys have clients. Teachers have students. Department stores have customers and consumers. Labels are sometimes used not to reduce the dignity of a person but, rather, for clarification. Here’s another example. A healthcare provider was informed that she could not use the term “non-ambulatory.” Thus, she could not say “non-ambulatory person” or “a person who is non-ambulatory.” Instead, she had to use the statement, “The person moves through his environment using a wheelchair.” Not only are these excessive words, but they also can give a false impression. It reads as if the person can operate (either manually or electronically) the wheelchair. However, more times than not, this isn’t the case. The person is not capable of operating the wheelchair and requires another person to push them. Thus, accuracy was sacrificed for what sounded good on paper. In addition to being sensitive, language must also be functional and communicative.Piggybacking off the previous point, a common complaint about being politically correct is that it makes communication more difficult. In the field of mental health, the term “mental retardation” was replaced by “intellectual disability.” The problem was that this was told to mental health professionals and teachers but not necessarily to the rest of the world. So, when mental health professionals would ask families if their loved one had been diagnosed or if there was a family history of intellectual disability, many families had no idea what the professional was talking about. It then put that professional in a position to use the term “mental retardation” to explain. Then, the family would say something like, “He [the professional] asked if there’s mental retardation in my family” to the professional’s supervisor. This would lead to the professional being reprimanded for using inappropriate language.

That’s all I got. This post turned out to be longer than I intended and, went in a slightly different direction than planned. Since this week was supposed to be a “cultural” post, I wanted to focus more specifically on political correctness as it specifically related to culture. However, the woke movement applies across the board to all cultures.

Now, it’s your turn to sound off. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

Get ready. It’s time to hit the ice again. Future Goals has arrived and is live.

When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.

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Author Bio

Genevive Chamblee resides in the bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm”, and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.