Fact check: How has the term 'Woke' been used in American politics, particularly in the 2024 election?

1. Summary of the results

The term 'woke' has undergone a significant transformation in American politics, particularly during the 2024 election cycle. Originally rooted in African-American culture since the 1930s, the term referred to awareness of racial prejudice and discrimination ^[1]. It gained prominence through Black protest songs urging awareness of racial injustice and was later amplified by the Black Lives Matter movement ^[2].

In the 2024 election, 'woke' became a central battleground term used to describe cultural issues including immigration, gender identity, and racial diversity, with stark differences emerging between Biden and Trump supporters on these topics ^[3]. Conservative politicians, including GOP presidential candidates, have systematically co-opted the term as a pejorative to critique progressive values and social justice issues ^{[4] [5]}.

The political weaponization of 'woke' has manifested in concrete policy battles, particularly around efforts to stop teaching about racism and critical race theory in schools ^[6]. This represents a broader conservative backlash against what they perceive as progressive overreach in educational and cultural institutions.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several critical perspectives are absent from a surface-level understanding of 'woke' in 2024 politics:

• The role of 'symbolic capitalists' - Scholar Musa al-Gharbi argues that elites use social justice discourse to advance their own interests, suggesting that the Democratic Party's reorientation around knowledge economy professionals has alienated working-class voters ^[7]. This indicates that wealthy, educated professionals benefit from maintaining 'woke' discourse as it reinforces their cultural and economic position.
• Conservative political strategy - The analyses reveal that conservatives are using 'woke' as a racial 'dog whistle' to appeal to white grievance politics ^[4]. This suggests that conservative politicians and media figures benefit from stoking cultural divisions as an electoral strategy.
• Historical erasure - The co-optation potentially promotes anti-Blackness, stratification, and fear while obscuring the term's serious historical roots in Black resistance movements ^[2]. This benefits those who wish to delegitimize racial justice movements by stripping away their historical context.
• Class dynamics - The transformation of 'woke' reflects broader tensions between different socioeconomic groups, with knowledge economy professionals using social justice language in ways that may alienate working-class communities ^[7].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself is relatively neutral, but understanding the term 'woke' in 2024 politics without acknowledging certain biases could be misleading:

• Omission of origins - Discussing 'woke' without acknowledging its deep roots in Black culture dating back to the early 20th century perpetuates the conservative narrative that it's merely a recent progressive invention ^[2].
• False equivalency - Treating both progressive and conservative uses of the term as equally valid ignores that conservatives are deliberately distorting the original meaning for political gain ^[5].
• Depoliticization - Framing 'woke' as simply a cultural issue obscures how it has become a deliberate political weapon used to mobilize voters and justify policy changes, particularly in education ^[6].
• Elite manipulation - Failing to acknowledge how both progressive and conservative elites benefit from 'woke' discourse - whether through symbolic capitalism or white grievance politics - misses the broader power dynamics at play ^{[7] [4]}.