After peak woke, what next?
The influence of a set of illiberal ideas is waning. That creates an opportunity
ONE OF THE early uses of the word was by Lead Belly, who sang about the Scottsboro boys, nine young African-Americans in Scottsboro, Alabama, who were wrongly accused in 1931 of raping two white women. They got an unfair trial; all nine later had their convictions overturned or were pardoned. In a recording in 1938, Lead Belly warns black Americans travelling through Alabama to stay “woke”, lest they be accused of something similar. Even the most committed anti-woke warrior would grant that the man had a point.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “After peak woke”
From the September 21st 2024 edition
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