In Canada, we are witnessing the deliberate weaponization of the term “woke” by political figures like Pierre Poilievre and other right-wing leaders, who use it as a blanket label to dismiss calls for justice, equity, and truth. What began as a term rooted in activism—particularly within Black and Indigenous communities—has been distorted into a derogatory buzzword, often used to discredit legitimate movements for social change.
At its core, “wokeness” is simply the awareness of injustice. It is an awakening to the systemic inequalities and oppressive structures that exist in our societies.
Wokeness calls attention to the injustices faced by marginalized communities—whether it’s racial inequality, gender oppression, economic exploitation, or colonial violence. It urges us to see the world for what it is and to recognize the ways in which historical and contemporary systems of power continue to harm those who are already oppressed. It also urges us to act—whether it’s standing in solidarity with Indigenous land defenders, fighting for climate justice, demanding accountability for police violence against Black and Brown communities, or advocating for the rights and dignity of trans people. Wokeness is the commitment to dismantling real, tangible harms caused by systemic oppression.
Yet, in political discourse, “woke” has been twisted into something negative, often used to paint social justice movements as radical or divisive. Often referred to as “wokeism” by political figures like Pierre Poilievre, the implication is that those who advocate for a more just and equitable society are somehow disconnected from the realities that truly matter to Canadians. This narrative tries to frame rejecting progress as aligned with what people consider “common sense.” But the truth is, fighting for justice, equality, and dignity is the real common sense—it’s about addressing systemic issues that affect everyone, not just maintaining a system that benefits a few.
Rejecting Wokeness as a Political Agenda
What is particularly troubling is that the rejection of “wokeness” is not just a dismissal of certain progressive causes—it’s a rejection of a broader moral and ethical framework that acknowledges inequality and seeks to address it. For example, when we see political leaders rejecting calls for action on Indigenous land rights, or when they oppose measures to address racial discrimination, they are not simply dismissing one issue—they are rejecting the very principles of justice and fairness that guide our efforts to create a more equitable society.
When an entire political agenda is built around rejecting “wokeness,” it signals a desire to maintain the status quo, where systems of oppression like colonialism, racism, and patriarchy remain largely unchallenged (these are the same systems that underlie and enable environmental destruction, by the way!). By framing “wokeness” as a threat, politicians like Poilievre are essentially arguing that the quest for a just and equitable society is somehow dangerous, and that acknowledging the existence of privilege and systemic harm is a threat to social cohesion.
But is it dangerous to demand a world where we all share equal rights and privileges, regardless of our race, gender, or identity? Or isn’t that precisely the world we want?
Reclaiming Wokeness
When a political agenda is built on rejecting “wokeness,” we risk fostering a society that is willfully ignorant of its injustices. We create a culture where critical conversations about race, colonialism, and privilege are silenced, and where the systems that perpetuate harm are left unexamined. This rejection of “wokeness” isn’t just about rejecting one term—it’s an attempt to keep us comfortable in our ignorance, allowing harmful narratives and power structures to persist unchecked. It positions movements for social justice as something undesirable, ultimately painting the pursuit of equity as a divisive, even “un-Canadian” endeavor.
This approach does not serve the greater good. By vilifying the awareness of injustice, we are complicit in the perpetuation of harm. We cannot afford to look the other way when issues of racial violence, gender discrimination, and environmental devastation continue to affect marginalized communities. When we reject wokeness, we reject the very notion of justice—one that holds us accountable for our actions and urges us to do better.
Let’s take a moment to really think about what “wokeness” means. At its core, it’s a call to action, not about moral superiority or political correctness. It’s about acknowledging the lived experiences of those who have been pushed to the margins and coming together to build a more just and inclusive society. Instead of letting politicians twist it into a weapon, let’s reclaim “wokeness” as a badge of honor. It’s a symbol of our commitment to challenge injustice and fight for real, systemic change.
So, ask yourself: What kind of society do we want to live in? Do we want one where we turn a blind eye to systemic injustice, or one where we tackle these issues head-on—with compassion, accountability, and a true drive for equity? Rejecting “wokeness” means rejecting the very values that drive social justice. It’s time for all of us to rise above the political rhetoric and push for a Canada where justice, truth, and equity are more than just words—they’re the lived realities for everyone.
Comment your reflections below!
Discussion
Time for all of us to WOKE UP!
Thank you: I had been wondering about the meaning of "woke".
Jessica What a magnificent piece of writing Thank you
Time for all hands on deck; we are facing threats from the U.S. the like of which we have not seen before -- and which Conservative politicians seem to be cheering on.
Interesting and enlightening Ignornace produces violence and hate. Everyone should seek peace.
I prefer the word "enlightened" to "woke", but either way it is a good thing to be. Ignorance is the enemy and keeps the billionaires rich at the planet's and the people's expense. Exploiting workers and natural resources is easier in a dark age where no one knows or cares about the long term consequences of their actions. Wake up!
Protect nature! Destroy polluters!!!!!
To demand a world where we all share equal rights and privileges, regardless of our race, gender, or identity is precisely the world we want if we're 'woke'. Where we have choice and free speech and responsibilities to oneanother. A just society.
Right on! Excellent post!
This is a thorough and beautifully written piece about the true meaning of 'woke". Being "woke" is exactly what the world needs to bring justice, equity and compassion to a world ravaged by the greed and profiteering of corporate and political bodies benefiting from divisive, destructive, and oppressive governance. This world could yet recover, when a critical mass of its citizens work together to bring about a global transformation - toward the practices of consultation, cooperation and compassion, rather than competition, consumerism, conflict, and belligerent colonialism. Everything on and about this planet points to the essential relationships that are necessary between all things for life to exist here. The many intelligences that all things bring to our earth must be respected, honoured,preserved and included. We must all strive to be woke.
The opposite of woke is asleep! Political pressure for citizens to maintain unconsciousness can only ever betray its own nefarious agendas.
Thankyou for a great piece on "woke" I had never heard of it before as I think have many. P.P. is a very dangerous career politician with archaic views and he has done nothing for our country. His "Trumptonian" rhetoric is frightening especially in view of what Canada is dealing with lately My hope is that Canadians see through him & vote for Canada.
Thankyou for a great piece on "woke" I had never heard of it before as I think have many. P.P. is a very dangerous career politician with archaic views and he has done nothing for our country. His "Trumptonian" rhetoric is frightening especially in view of what Canada is dealing with lately My hope is that Canadians see through him & vote for Canada.
The far right is masterful or they employ masterful people that spread propoganda that vilifies anything they don't believe in. It is an understatement to say they don't like Woke it points a finger directly at them and so it is the focus of their vilification. It is a continuation of the assault on socialism. Too many do not understand that they live in a world where almost every benefit they have came from socialist minds. Today one of the brainwashed showed how deep this brainwashing has gone he told me that Nazis were socialists because it is right in their name.
It is being used as another deflection, a smoke screen if you will to hide their true agenda (the right and far right wing). It's no different than blaming immigrants for the economic troubles. Simple things that get a knee jerk reaction from a lot of people who don't take the time to investigate and take it at face value just looking for someone or something to blame. It is not just in Canada either It is happening in every western democracy.
I have a so-called friend who is actually a big fan of the narcissistic and paranoid bully POTUS who plans to use imposition of tariffs to ruin the economy of all of his supposed enemy nations, and to destroy their sovereignty—- including forcing my own homeland of Canada to become America’s 51st state —- who constantly mocks me and my real friends for being “woke”, by which he means naive bleeding heart radical progressives who have no understanding at all of the realities of a world dominated by power, greed, and hatred of all peoples seen as different and “other” —- and who have no understanding that might makes right, and who are in any case too weak to do anything anyways. Therefore I greatly appreciate GREENPEACE’s wide definition of wokeness as meaning an awakening to and recognition of systemic injustice including of systematic racism, and I would like to add also a recognition of genocide and ecocide, together with the will to take whatever non-violent action is possible to fight all forms of systemic injustice and to support and forward the U.N.’s Declaration of Universal Human Rights. Many Thanks to GREENPEACE for continuing to encourage us all to strive to make this precious and beautiful world that we all live and depend on, a much better place for both human and all other species of life. ❤️
Those who manipulate and denigrate the word "woke" are precisely those who need to awaken to the obvious facts of inequality, injustice, and prejudice, quite specifically against all individuals and groups who suffer from personally driven and systemic inequality and injustice. In other words, those who denigrate the real meaning of the word, put themselves on the other side of the line from equality and justice, and by definition proudly proclaim "I am asleep, unawakened, and ignorant." My simple suggestion is that if there is a consensus possible, the entire movement change the name to Awake, which is what is bring promoted. Then, those who want to denigrate it will be making a statement along the lines of "I am asleep. I am ignorant, unaware and not awake." Then they can proudly bray this to the world while the rest of us get on with the important work to be done.
It took me a long time to understand what the word meant, because it was maligned from the day it entered the mainstream vocabulary. The meaning changes with the speaker. I was called a “wokester” for standing up agains misogynistic Facebook posts. We need a better term than one which means the opposite of “slept”.
Hi Jessica - well thought out and well written. Thank you. We all need to be aWOKEN if we are to get at the roots of systemic barriers to building a just society and a thriving ecosystem.
Well said, THANK YOU. Some clear light & fire in a dispiriting time!
Yes, being called ‘woke’ should not be felt as an insult seeming to require explanation from the accused that they are ‘not really woke’, but do care about recognizing and addressing social injustices and inequalities. Let’s re-embrace ‘woke’ proudly and say yes, injustice and inequality exists and can and must successfully be addressed, to the benefit of all.
Insightful and inspiring! Let’s all “woke” up!
On the Poilievre situation, see my post at https://kathleenmccroskey.substack.com/p/canada-wake-up
Jessica, you have written a marvelous piece and I urge you to find every way possible to bring this to the attention of as many Canadians as possible. The inevitable federal election must not be won by anyone who denies the importance of being "woke".
I immigrated to Canada over 55 years ago. It is hard to see my adopted country disintegrate, and with it my rights as a woman along with the rights of all minority groups except white extremist males. Let’s call a spade a spade. Let Polyethylene Pierre choke on Woke. Canadians are awake, awake to the needs of others, awake to the need for justice and equality, awake to the climate emergency, awake to the fact that we settlers are living on unceded indigenous lands… Canadians are awake, Canadians care for each other.
Whenever some moron calls me "woke" now, I tell him that we woke folk regard being called "woke" as a compliment. It's amazing how many of them that stops dead in their tracks. They're just so damned easy to confuse, lol.
Thank you for this timely message. You have brought to my consciousness the meaning and importance of the term “woke”. From this day forward I shall use the the word, including using it to refer to myself.
I'd rather be "woke" than be asleep to the issues that are harming our society and environment. Too many of our politicians try to push the narrative that we who care about the climate and environment are delusional, when they are the ones who refuse to read the facts and educate themselves. I for one don't want to live in a concrete jungle. I want our world to be bursting with diversity, the way it has and always should be.
Yes indeed! I aspire to be ever more 'woke' and am grateful to join in solidarity with those who feel the same way.
I fully agree with your article on wokeness, eg: "the rejection of “wokeness” is not just a dismissal of certain progressive causes—it’s a rejection of a broader moral and ethical framework that acknowledges inequality and seeks to address it." I think the right is weaponizing terms like "wokeness" to try to isolate and bully progressives, and to pave the way towards persecution and silencing low-status minorities like the Indigenous and LGBQT communities. I highly recommend Carol Off's book "At a Loss for Words: Conversations in an Age of Rage" which examines the way the extreme right has twisted a number of key concepts: democracy, freedom, woke, truth, choice and taxes https://crjustice5.substack.com
While the origins of the term and its historical definition are important, I find the most useful tactic is communicating a simpler definition: empathy. When someone rejects "wokeness" I respond with "you mean empathy?" And when they inevitably argue, I ask their definition and often discover they don't have one and the word is simply a vehicle for their anger. At this point, one of the failings of the progressive movement is to dismiss this anger and lack of understanding as stupidity, foolishness, and ignorance on the part of our political adversaries. But that is a critical mistake. Being dismissive means we won't change their minds. We must address the root cause of their anger. We must identify the root cause of their rage. Only by validating the real frustration they feel and working together to address the root causes that they unfairly blame on wokeness can we start achieving real and lasting political wins as a movement. Conservatism hijacks ignorance and weaponizes hate to win elections. Progressives lose elections because we dismiss our opponents as stupid. That is our fatal flaw. We must validate our opponents anger but - importantly - shift it away from the vulnerable communities they blame (immigrants, LGBTQ+, women, etc.) and shift it towards the true causes of their anger: Cost of living, the job market, unstable economy, etc. You can't win an argument by telling your angry partner that they're being stupid. And you can't win an election by telling conservatives that they're all racist or ignorant. Until we validate their feelings but redirect those feelings away from the targets of their anger can we as a movement hope to see progress. And I believe that wearing wokeness as a badge of honor as this article suggests is a great step in that direction.
Beautifully put.
Great perspective! Thanks for sharing
Great perspective! I will be using empathy to redirect anti-wokeness
Thank you for this article! I had to look up the meaning of 'woke' a short while ago because I was confused. I did not realize that the right-wingers had taken decent human values and turned them into evil somehow! Yes we must fight to preserve these very Canadian values that we have fought for, for many decades - environmental awareness, multiculturalism, indigenous people and values, social equity and on and on. To reject this is ultimately self-defeating and against the course of history and against nature and agains humanity. Thank you for confronting the right-wing attacks on 'wokeness'. By the way it comes from the word' awakening'. People need to wake up to the real threats to our civilization rather than going back to old prejudices and ignorance.
Thank you for this thoughtful piece. While I’ve never personally liked the word ‘woke’, I agree with everything you say. We do need to fight our corners for the sake of our earth and each other, in the face of the stupidity and greed we see day and daily.
If you aren't woke, then you must be asleep.
Thank you very much for this article on wokeness. I have never seen a more complete definition and explanation of this term. I too have been very angry and frustrated with the demonizing of this term by the right. Unfortunately there are just too many dumbasses in this world of ours that haven’t got the capacity to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ and see the world for what it really is. We live in very scary times right now and Trump’s second rise to power could spell the end of democracy as we know it. Pollievre is of the Trump ilk and hopefully will not win the upcoming election. We must keep fighting and continue to push for compassion, understanding and justice.
My take on "wokeness" exactly.
I want to live in a just society, absolutely. I also want to live in a society where I'm not expected to constantly remove words from my vocabulary. I know there's a happy medium somewhere between the two hysterical extremes of far right and far left.
Proud to be Woke!
I agree with this statement that “Wokeness is simply the awareness of injustice. It is an awakening to the systemic inequalities and oppressive structures that exist in our societies." We all need to be more aware of these injustices. All human beings will benefit if we take care of each other.
It would probably be wise to not fight for a specific word, 'woke' but rather to emphasize that "justice, equality, and dignity is the real common sense." Woke is a single word and thus is open to interpretation and misrepresentation. In the late 60's the word 'hip' was thought by many people to represent a set of values. It was shocking to find hip people whose values were much more self centered than many others who ascribed to the hip outlook.
Right-wing politicians are usually aggressive at what they want and what they think is right. But during the last 15 or 20 years, their numbers around the world is increasing and they make me sick. Most of the time, they try to bark louder than any dog. All they do is throw insults at people and policies they don't like, because their 'ego' keeps growing due to their own lack of knowledge and lack of interest to believe in the truth all due to their ignorance. But especially the recent generation of right-wingers, whether in Brazil like Blosonaro, or in the US they have become too vocal and keep barking louder all the time. They have been very very destructive of the needs of life for the poor and the "Nature". But what is extremely sad is that in our own backyard, in Canada the leader of the right-wing has been too loud at throwing insults at everybody he does not like and proclaim his own "lack of knowledge" based superiority. Hope Canadians don't vote for him. When it comes to 'Our Planet' and it's health though, nobody wants to touch one important thing. That is our own over-consumption, over-populating ourselves, leaving no space for Wildlife, Fauna and Flora on this planet. Our own kind that are just selfish and don't think of the future are too greedy, no respect for the Nature and keep on having too many demands on the luxury-lifestyle at any cost. This is destroying all other species and no space left for all Animals, Trees, Forests, Birds etc., It is not hard to visualise what will become of Our Planet Earth in the next 50 years. This is extremely sad.
Thank you for awakening us to the meaning & origin of 'woke'. Proud to be one! Here's another magical word coined by Glenn Albreght in Australia, that we learned on a kayak trip on the BC west coast: 'Soliphilia' ~ = 'love for a place that inspires personal responsibility and political solidarity to protect it".
I am intent on leaving this world a better place for me having lived. I care about fellow humans and the environment. Although I don’t care for labels like “woke” , I believe in and stand for what it represents. Empathy, care, altruism, and love are attributes of people who are “woke”. That’s the kind of world I want to live in.
This is an excellent article and very important to get this out there as there is a strong movement to "disappear" all the things it talks about for a more fair, inclusive, equitable, diverse society. I totally support everything that was said in the article, thank you for putting it up. We can't let that terrible wave against "woke" to take over, we must resist and push back in any way we can. It is not just for the people that have been affected already but for all people. For example, how easy is it to think about homeless people as all addicts and vagrants, and then it happens to you because of the economy, job loss or other circumstances. How would you feel when that attitude is directed to you? The greedy, power hungry anti-woke people use this to maintain and increase their power. So, here's to more "woke"!!
I believe the reason some people are anti-woke is because the wokeness they have seen has been in a "you MUST do this" manner rather than a "you SHOULD do this" manner. Despite good intentions, If something is mandatory, people resent it. When people resent something, they oppose it. Though"you must do this actions" can be a valid form of self-defence, they are to be avoided whenever possible because they will eventually backfire. The more we work to respect each other as people despite political differences, the more respect will be given to those we are working to help. Everyone has a part to play in reducing political division/polarization. I know this is much easier said then done, but I also know it will be very WORTH IT. Best Wishes, -Pierce
I would also strongly insist that you include people with disabilities to be included among the groups that are marginalized and ignored in all of this! I think the list you have almost never includes the disabled. We are discriminated and forgotten much more often than the other groups. Remember that!
The opposite of woke is asleep. Why would any leader want the people on their team asleep. Unless their goal is to betray those people.
Canadians need to be educated on the truth of Gov't oppression of its Aboriginal peoples! One issue is that healing could have begun right after leaving the Residential Schools but the Fed. Gov't controlled the funding for our education and economic development with what used to be Dept. of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and tried to hold us back when we tried to do something for ourselves! This was still going on in the 1970's! Often when Canada said that they were exposing how Aboriginals have been treated victims and witnesses who saw what was going on will look at it and wonder, "Where's the truth?"
Love this! Going to keep working on my "wokeness" and reclaiming the word every chance I get.
I very much appreciate your article; particularly at this time. Many people don't know the origin of this term and that it was originally used to affirm people who become sensitized to the economic disparities, racial prejudices and other disenfranchised segments of our predominantly "White Western Privileged" society. It has been deliberately turned into a derogatory, pejorative term; a form of "desecrated plagiarism", one might say. The term, needs to be "returned" to its original meaning and dignity. Nor do I think we should replace it. The term actually has deep spiritual roots . Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, (to name only a few) and many other spiritual leaders, as well as Indigenous cultures emphasized the importance of being, becoming, remaining or achieving "wakefulness" . Being "Woke" doesn't exactly fit our the English grammatical preference; but I think it is more representative of it's actual origin. So, I will consider it a compliment if anyone refers to me as being "Woke".
What a fantastic summary of the situation today and the way that this current term, much like "social justice warrior," is now being co-opted by a large group of dangerous bigots. We, the mainstream, won't let these reactionaries control the narrative. They don't get to repurpose these words that have a real, powerful effect on people's lives. When you hear it, challenge it. Get people thinking critically again about language.
Excellent commentary in the blog post on the appropriate and inappropriate use of the term "woke".
Thanks for explaining what the work 'woke' means so clearly. I had been confused about it because of the different ways it was being used. Now I understand it's a good thing to be, like 'awake' and 'aware'.
Thank you for writing and sharing this important clarification of wokeness and it's inherent connection to climate justice. I hope it can reach people beyond those of us who already support Greenpeace and believe justice, equity and inclusion are worth fighting for. The anti-woke propaganda is dangerous and polarizing at a time when we need to unite around protecting our common future, and the survival of life on Earth
Sorry to bring this up because you’ve probably heard a million times but it seems that Pierre Poilevre is using the same playbook that Donald Trump’s followers used in the US. He appears to using the same tactics although in a more subtle position. Testing the waters I would guess. Seriously, that scares me.