Mike McHargueJul 26, 2023

I don't know who needs to hear this, but the term "woke" didn't start with kids on Twitter.

The was first recorded by Lead Belly in the 1930s in a song called "The Scottsboro Boys," about the dangers Black Americans faced traveling through states in the Deep South. The original line was "best stay woke," as in, "remain aware of the dangers of racism."

Black communities shortened the term to "stay woke," over time, and eventually added "woke" as a state of being--or constant awareness.

Show threadJosh JusticeJul 27, 2023
@mike @joshourisman Related, for any readers who might not be aware: Black Americans still face danger traveling through certain cities in the Deep South. My son is Black, and we were warned about danger in Harrison Arkansas. We made sure the gas tank was full, we drove the speed limit, and didn't stop for anything.
Show threadRuby S.
@CodingItWrong @mike @joshourisman Not just in the South! Black people are killed by white people with impunity all over this country.
Jul 28, 2023 at 3:58pmWeb