Pro & Con
Is “Wokeness” Helping or Hurting? By Lorraine Jones
Throughout the history of the American language, black people have used rhetoric as a tool to adapt and survive the harsh reality of this country. The words we use are often reflective of our current culture and political situation. We have used language to combat injustice, establish respect for our community, and push for social and political equality. The recent heightened political division and racial tensions in America have brought immense media criticism and struggle for power through our choice of language. Identifying systems of oppression or words that perpetuate hate led to subverting and dismantling them. Many are reevaluating the rhetoric they use and the racial and discriminatory implications. A word that was once used freely and in mundane conversation is now seen for its harmful implications. The racialized language of American history stretches as far back as the 1500s. One label referring to people of African descent first appeared in English literature in 1577 in The Nigers of Aethiop. Descending from the Latin word for black,
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