What does it mean to be woke?
It’s a perceived and continuing awareness of issues concerning social justice and other forms of oppression and injustice.
It’s a point of realization of what is to be, not to be and never should have being.
Here goes…
Are we woke because we’re tired of the laid rules set by the society, more aware of societal issues and justice, fed up of old ways of life, fashion, living standard, unnecessary reverence to elders who never cared about the future, tired of the ancestral stories?
Are we woke because we question what you make us do to our bodies, what you make us wear on our bodies, what we decide we no longer want done on ourselves?
Are we woke because we want partnership in marriages, because we don’t want to die in the kitchen and don’t want to assume the role of a chef, because we don’t want to be the sole caretaker of our kids,because we don’t want cooking as an achievement?
Are we woke because we want to be regarded as equals with men, because we want equal pay, because we want to be regarded as free beings?
Are we woke because we don’t want to be regarded as property?
Are we woke because we say “no to the girl child being trained as a maid for her husband”, because we fight against genital mutilation, because we fight for education for the child, because we say “no to child marriages?”
Are we woke because we refuse to continue in the ways of our ancestors, because we say no to face scars also known as tribal marks, because we decided to go the technological way instead of local ways, because instead of washing with our hands we decided machines can take the labor off our hands?
Are we woke because we say to the elders “respect is reciprocal”?
Are we woke because we say no sexual related jokes in the name of ‘it’s just a joke, because we say give us intelligent jokes, because we say no to body commercialization?
Are we woke because we question activities of ‘men of God’, their financial status, because we refused to give the church money and because we refuse to let pastors walk all over us?
Are we woke if we don’t know that women live in fear of men, women cannot party, get drunk or enjoy their life as they please, women cannot go home late at night without feeling unsafe or that her mini skirt is not an excuse for rape or sexual assault?
Are we woke if we still don’t understand consent?
Are you still woke if you don’t know men are sexually assaulted and get raped too? If you don’t know men have feelings and not as strong as the society paints them to be? If you don’t know that men deserves pampering?
Are we even woke if we can’t hold the government accountable?
Are you woke if you don’t understand that being woke isn’t a death sentence but gives you a reason to question rules and norms, stand by your own principle, gives you a reason and a voice to say NO!?
But God forbid because they did it in the 50’sand 60’s.
God forbid you condemn because I am in power.
God forbid you question me because I pay your salary
God forbid you go against me because I’m richer
God forbid we are equals because you are a woman
God forbid you say no to my proposals
God forbid you’re raped because of that short Dress.
But God forbid we are woke!
Yes! We are woke! We are aware of what we do not want, aware of our surroundings, of how things affect others, how we live, we are aware of what our women go through, aware of our men, aware that the girl child need education, aware that the Government is trying to shut us up, we are aware we live in traffic.
We are woke and it has kept us alive!
