Introduction and Defining the Movement — Origins and Core Tenets of Woke Ideology

What Is 'Woke' Ideology?

The term 'woke' originated in African-American vernacular as a call to social awareness, particularly regarding racial injustice. Over time, it was adopted by a broader academic and activist movement and expanded into an encompassing ideological framework. By the 2010s and 2020s, 'woke' ideology had come to denote a distinct cluster of beliefs and policy preferences centered on systemic inequality, identity group politics, and the view that virtually all disparate social outcomes are the product of structural oppression.