Alert to injustice in society, especially racism.

When used as a verb, the word ‘woke’ means the past tense of ‘wake’ – as in someone who is past the process of waking up. There’s a similar logic behind using the word as an adjective in feminist discussion. It basically means being socially and politically aware and knowing what’s going on in the wider community, especially in relation to injustices. The rise in popularity of “woke” has been tied to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, reminding people to be aware of the way race and class affects people’s lives. Today we generally use the word to describe someone who is an informed, questioning, self-educating individual.