The Other Side of Woke Culture

This paper will argue that woke culture has, over time, become corrupted and now aids in enabling and proliferating some of the very issues and injustices it once sought to challenge. Originally, being woke meant staying aware of the racial oppression experienced by certain social groups. Today, however, the concept has expanded to include issues of gender, sexuality, and violence against women. In theory, woke culture aims to promote equality among people of different races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations; however, in practice, it often gives preferential treatment to minority groups and hands them a carte blanche to abuse and attack alleged offenders from majority groups. Some supporters of woke culture seek to rewrite established history, arguing that it has been distorted. Woke culture is also linked to canceling or restricting free expression to amplify the voices of minorities or the oppressed. In practice, discourse is often manipulated; for instance, the concept of inclusion—which should mean welcoming everyone—is frequently used to justify restrictions on speech. It's hard to include everyone when people are not allowed to speak freely for fear of offending others. By prioritizing the feelings of certain groups, the woke approach often encroaches on free speech.