Reading for Treasure: What is "Woke?"

Recently, someone asked me if the teachers in my school were woke. I asked him what he meant by “woke.” He struggled to give me any form of answer. Does it just mean liberal? Does it mean Black? Does it mean whatever those in Florida want it to mean? What do they want it to mean? Do they know? 

Those who are banning books, worrying about drag shows, and storming school board meetings know what they are doing. It doesn’t matter what woke means. They have turned it into a weapon against those who coined it. It is an attempt to make schools and society white-centric – again. After accusing liberals of being snowflakes, the battle against woke is an attempt to protect the feelings and power of those who benefit from the status quo and don’t wish to be reminded of it. 

If eliminating any signs of “wokeness” might make some comfortable, it will make others uncomfortable and unsafe. There are some who stand to benefit if “woke” ideas are suppressed and we all go to sleep. But those who have been bullied, beaten, and brutalized also deserve to have their voices heard. Their history is our history, it is American history. We must face it because it is painful and difficult. 

The issues of our past do not go away because we wish they never happened. If we ignore health issues, things don’t get better because we pretend we are well when we know there is cause for concern. We must have the courage and fortitude to confront the issues that the anti-woke people are trying to silence. We can’t move forward until we deal with our past and present. 

With that in mind, here are some other voices that helped shape my view and may give more context to this issue:  

Clarence Page’s editorial in the Chicago Tribune, “What is ‘woke’? More than a joke.” 

NewsOne’s article, “Fox News Host Whitesplains Why Conservatives Can’t Define ‘Woke,’ Says It’s Just A ‘Feeling.’” 

Two articles from The Atlantic: “Woke Is Just Another Word for Liberal” and  “Wokeness Has Replaced Socialism as the Great Conservative Bogeyman.”

Michael Harriott, writing in The Grio, looks at how the word “woke” and other terms have been twisted into new definitions and speculates on what other words might suffer the same fate, “After white people redefined ‘woke’ and ‘critical race theory,’ these 6 words or phrases might be next.” 

Reading for Treasure is my list of articles that are worth your attention. Click here for an introduction.

I am currently reading The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

Vote with Integrity

Recent events have made me think about integrity. Merriam-Webster provides three definitions:

 

1. firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility.

2. an unimpaired condition: soundness.

3. the quality or state of being complete and undivided: completeness

 

Do I do this? Am I a person of integrity?

 

Can I articulate the code that guides my behavior? Is it an external code, like the Ten Commandments, the Constitution, or some other written set of rules? Have I created my own set of values by which I evaluate my choices?  One can’t be incorruptible if there is nothing to corrupt! What are my guiding values and where do they come from?

 

Is my condition sound? Is my behavior “free from flaw, defect, or decay?” Is it “solid,” “firm,”  “secure,” and “stable?” Do I work to make sure my decisions are “free from error, fallacy, or misapprehension?” Are they “based on thorough knowledge and experience” and “legally” and “logically valid?” Do I show sound and “good judgment or sense?”

 

Am I complete? Is my integrity complete? Do I have all the information and “necessary parts, elements, or steps?” I am being “thorough,” and “proficient?”

Who are people of integrity? How do I know?

 

Some people say one thing and then do another. We call them hypocrites. Others say one thing and then renounce their values when they are no longer convenient or easy. We call them opportunists. Others discard their values when they stand in the way of material or political goals. You probably know what they might be called.  

 

Yet, it can be appropriate to alter one’s values. Can that be done without compromising one’s integrity? We learn. We grow. We change with condition and time. The rules that guided us at four, fourteen, or forty are different. We should not be so rigid or simple to think that the same set of rules will always guide our choices.

 

Or should we? The Ten Commandments don’t change. Perhaps some of our values are unchanging and others need to adapt to current circumstances. How do we know the difference?

 

Does integrity have some basic foundational precepts? Are there some straightforward and direct values that we may bind to our hands, heads, and hearts?

Try these on for a start:  

• Tell the whole truth; be honest.

• Keep your promises and fulfill your obligations.

• Do no harm to others in tangible or intangible ways.

• Actively help those in need.

• Nurture children; support elders.

• Work with other people collaboratively and with their consent.

There are some tools that are necessary to “adhere” to a “code” and remain “sound.”

• I must be able to think critically and reason logically and dispassionately.

• I must be able to tell truth from falsehood –and fact from opinion.

• I must be aware of my desires and how they might affect my thinking and feeling.

• I must listen to others and be able to accept and understand their points of view. 

• I must be able to evaluate others’ points of view dispassionately and with as little bias as possible. I must be aware of that bias and its effects.

• My emotions and my reason must be in concert. While I may have a “gut” feeling, I must pair such feelings with consideration.

• I must acknowledge my own fallibility and own my mistakes when I inevitably make them – and then work to correct them!

Integrity is an active process and more than a state of being. It is a worthy goal. As we go to the ballot box, let us be voters and citizens of integrity.

Reading for Treasure: Racist!?

 Reading for Treasure is my list of articles (and other readings) that are worth your attention. Click here for an introduction!

 

I don’t want our focus on racial justice to vanish as the protests leave the front pages and our television screens become filled with other topics. What makes something (or someone) racist? How should we have conversations regarding race and racism? Here are some articles that ask and answer some important questions about race.

 

“When Using Racist, Define Your Terms”: This article from The Atlantic explores the different definitions of racism and then argues that people, but especially journalists, must make it very clear what they mean by that term when they use it.

“When to Call Someone Out or Call Them In Over Racist Behavior”: This excerpt from a book by Tiffany Jewel starts by differentiating between calling someone in (addressing racist behavior privately) or calling someone out (addressing it in front of others). She then presents a series of questions about the nature of the behavior and situation that can guide your choice of whether to call someone in or out.

 

“The ‘I’m not a racist’ defense”: After you point out to someone that what they said or did was racist, almost always they turn that into an accusation that they are racist. In this opinion piece from CNN, Elliot Williams urges us to look beyond the label and see that it is not the intent of actions, but their impact that really makes something racist and that apologies and denials hide that sometimes White people do things that are racist and need to both acknowledge them and then do something about them.

 

“The Difference Between Being ‘Not Racist’ and ‘Anti-Racist’”: This article from Lifehacker clearly defines the terms “racist” and “anti-racist” and provides clear examples of behavior for each. It is a quick, easy, and important read.

 

 “What Drives Support for the Alt-Right”: This article from Psychology Today reports on a study that looked at the psychological profiles of people who identified with the Alt-right movement. It describes three clear takeaways from this report and looks at what is the motivation of Alt-right, their bias, and their comparison to supports of Antifa.

 

“What We Get Wrong About ‘People of Color’”: This article from Wired was written before people began using BIPOC or (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), but I wonder if the point would be the same. The author asks if we are using POC as a euphemism to avoid naming more specific groups.

 

“Open Letter to White People”: This piece suggests that the “what can I do” response to racist events is an empty question and White people become paralyzed by it. This article, written by a White person, works to get us past that paralysis by tapping into our empathy and taking action!

 

Seeing White Podcast: While many of us are considered White, our skin color is not really White. How did the idea of White (and Black) come about? Who were the people who made this distinction and why? I am willing to bet that many of the historical events this podcast describes will be new to you (especially if you are White).  It is outstanding and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Seeing White is part of a podcast called Scene on Radio.

 

“This Presidency Has Exposed My White Christian Friends”: The title makes the focus of this blog post very clear. Written by a pastor of a large church who is shocked by the beliefs of people he thought claimed to “love Jesus.” He says that the election of the current president has given people permission to stop pretending and take off their masks (metaphorically, of course – this article was written before the pandemic).  

 

 

I am currently reading Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

Reading for Treasure: December

Reading for Treasure is my list of articles that are worth your attention. Click here for an introduction! Here are some articles to read before the holidays.

What Sci-Fi Can Teach Computer Science About Ethics: As a teacher of Science Fiction, I believe that the genre can give readers far more than a glimpse into the future. One of the most powerful aspects of SF is its commentary on ethics and morality. Science Fiction is almost always about the present far more than about the future, and this Wired article explores why future computer engineers might benefit from a little SF literature!

The Comforting Fictions of Dementia Care: This long article from The New Yorker debates whether or not we should lie to our relatives with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. My view, before I read this article, was that contradicting and correcting memory challenged adults is irritating to everyone and helps no one. Now, I am not so certain. The moral and ethical issues raised here have given me a great deal to consider.

The Definition Of 'They': This short piece from NPR explores the word “they” as a singular pronoun referring to someone whose gender identity is non-binary. The Merriam-Webster dictionary, as well as many style guides, now recognize the use of the word “they” in this manner. In fact, this use of the pronoun is Merriam-Webster's word of the year! As a former English teacher, using a plural pronoun for a singular subject was a change of habit, but a necessary one: it meant treating my students with the respect and care that they deserved! It was the right thing to do!

The Problem With the “On the Spectrum” Armchair Diagnosis: In this article from Fatherly, the writer makes the argument that, when a non-medical professional says someone is, “on the spectrum”, they are trying to “explain away behavior considered odd. It’s wrong, yes, but also potentially damaging to people living with ASD whose disorder is increasingly misunderstood as it is weaponized.” Just as it is wrong to call someone “retarded,” and use of that word harms more than the person at whom it is directed, this article argues that the overuse of “on the spectrum” has similar ill effects.

White Folks ‘Embarrassed to Admit’ They Just Learned About the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Through an Episode of ‘Watchmen’: This Atlanta Black Star article responds to the opening scene in the new HBO series, Watchman, which shows the destruction a prosperous neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma by a Ku Klux Klan attack. It points out that there are important and pivotal parts of our history that have been ignored, erased, or otherwise hidden. While the TV series is addressing contemporary racial issues, watching Watchman should not be the primary way we expand our understanding of the complex and problematic history of race in the United States – and such an understanding is critical for everyone!

Defining Our Terms

Given the nature and content of our public conversations, I thought it might be helpful to define some of the words that we use so often. The following definitions are from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Honor:

·    good name or public esteem : reputation

·      a showing of usually merited respect : recognition 

·      privilege 

·      a person of superior standing —now used especially as a title for a holder of high office 

·      one whose worth brings respect or fame : credit 

·    an evidence or symbol of distinction: such as an exalted title or rank

·    an award in a contest or field of competition

·    archaic : a gesture of deference : bow

·      chastity, purity

·      a keen sense of ethical conduct : integrity 

·      one's word given as a guarantee of performance 

Moral:

·    of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical 

·      expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior 

·      conforming to a standard of right behavior 

·      sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment 

·      capable of right and wrong action 

Responsible:

·    liable to be called on to answer

·      liable to be called to account as the primary cause, motive, or agent 

·      being the cause or explanation 

·    liable to legal review or in case of fault to penalties

·    able to answer for one's conduct and obligations : trustworthy

·    able to choose for oneself between right and wrong

·      marked by or involving responsibility or accountability 

·    politically answerable; especially : required to submit to the electorate if defeated by the legislature —used especially of the British cabinet

Trust:

·    assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something

·    one in which confidence is placed

·    dependence on something future or contingent : hope

·      reliance on future payment for property (such as merchandise) delivered : credit 

·    a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another

·    a combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement; especially : one that reduces or threatens to reduce competition

·      care, custody 

·    a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship 

·    something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another

·    responsible charge or office

·    archaic : trustworthiness

Justice:

·    the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments 

·      the administration of law 

·      especially : the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity 

·      the quality of being just, impartial, or fair 

·    the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action 

·      conformity to this principle or ideal : righteousness 

·    the quality of conforming to law

·      conformity to truth, fact, or reason : correctness

Loyal:

·    unswerving in allegiance: such as faithful in allegiance to one's lawful sovereign or government 

·      faithful to a private person to whom faithfulness is due 

·      faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product 

·    obsolete : lawful, legitimate