Sleeping Isn't An Option When You've Been Made Alive
wokeness, oppression, and Florida
Hi Friends, I’ve been away from here for a few months now and it was for various reasons but I’m grateful to be back and wanted to start off the breaking of this unplanned sabbatical with talking about a present topic.
If you’re new around here, I write on different topics pertaining to Church, justice, and religious abuse. And today I’m going to be talking about a term that has gotten so overused and misused it’s creating oppressive cycles.
A few months ago, I addressed Christianese and how sometimes terms or culture within that language can make people feel othered or can flat out be disingenuous. The truth is that every group of people have a version of Christianese. Within cultures, genders, communities, regions, and even politics - people have “jargon” they communicate with one another so everyone can know what they mean but what happens when a word gets taken over by a group that want to use it as a weapon or to oppress?
‘Woke’ is one of those words. I haven’t really liked the word since it became popular but I didn’t oppose or judge people that used it. Initially, ‘woke’ was describing a way of thinking that was from a place of deep awareness either on one topic or various topics. And then, therefore, that would lead someone to live, speak, and think differently than most are doing. It used to be used (mainly) in the Black community in America.
But what has happened?
People took it and turned it around. They may it a “bad” word. A word to describe someone who has a progressive agenda (whatever that means).
I myself have been called woke and not for good reasons and certainly not by People of Color.
We could spend months talking about the actual term and how it’s been used, misused, and abused. But what I want to focus on is The Stop Woke Act.
Yes, you read right. People have gone so far to misunderstand and misuse this word that is now in the world of politics and being used to drive a disgusting idea.
The thing about oppression is that all it needs is fuel. All throughout history, we have seen over and over again how oppression has grown, expanded, and elevated above good and dignity because of fuel. And fuel has looked differently throughout the world and history. Sometimes the fuel is people and other times the fuel is funds.
In the case of the Stop Woke Act, it’s probably both.
Officially, the act is called The Individual Freedom Act but they are also calling it “Stop Woke Act” - and this is what it is….
“The Individual Freedom Act, commonly known as the Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act is a Florida state law which regulates the content of instruction and training in schools and workplaces.”
And when you read more about it - it’s communicating several things but one of them is that it’s teaching that those enslaved in the USA for the 400+ years that there was slavery here BENEFITED from that time because they developed skills and experience for the future.
Let’s take a deep breath right here my friends.
Just hearing those words as someone who has ancestors who were enslaved brought a deep disgust and anguish to my heart. And if your ancestors weren’t enslaved, you too get to feel the same way because what a disturbing and dehumanizing way to think.
And you know who communicated this and has implemented this act?
Someone who is running for the Presidential seat of the USA for 2024.
“DeSantis, a Republican, proposed the legislation in December under the name Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act, saying he aimed to “take on both corporate wokeness and critical race theory.”
He said,
“In Florida, we will not let the far-left woke agenda take over our schools and workplaces. There is no place for indoctrination or discrimination in Florida.”
And somehow that led him to the conclusion that one of those agendas is that slavery was evil so now he is communicating that in fact it had it’s benefits for the enslaved.
When we decide we have any right to communicate what the trauma, oppression, and injustice of someone resulted in - especially trying to portray in a positive light, we have become the lost ones. The ones that no longer see humanity. The ones that have missed the message of Christ. And the ones who will bring others to the darkness.
And I’m not talking about Republicans (just in case you were wondering) or the right or Floridians or politicians or White people or men. I’m talking about any and all people that choose the route of being the oppressor or on the side of one.
Who chooses the route of power over people.
Who chooses the route of dehumanization over dignity.
Who chooses the route of injustice over justice.
Who chooses the path that causes destruction and disunity as a means to win something, create continued segregation, and causes a never-ending cycle of othering one particular people group.
This is not the way of Christ.
So what do we do as a Body?
We consider very carefully who we vote for.
We protest against laws, policies, and acts that dehumanize image bearers (and protesting can look many different ways - doesn’t always have to happen in the streets with signs).
We pray for the repentance of sinners using their power to amplify this sin.
We repent of our contributions to the systems and cultures that amplify these injustices.
We invite our Churches to amplify the voices of the silenced and marginalized.
We donate to organizations doing good and ground work in this areas.
We pray for our teachers who have to decide to follow the law of man or embrace the truth of history when teaching students.
We address our family and friends who hold dehumanizing viewpoints.
We research and unlearn what we have been taught that isn’t true.
We hope in the power of the One who advocates for all of us.
If there’s ever a second that you feel or think you can’t do anything. You’ve allowed the oppressors to convince you of that lie. It’s not true.
Anybody anywhere can do something.
Will, we as ambassadors of the TRUE Advocate, rise up and do something?
Not because we are ‘woke’ but because we were once dead and are now alive.
Because we will answer call to be truth-tellers even if means it’ll make ourselves and others uncomfortable.
Because Christ is at the forefront of this fight and He’s asking us to join us.
Because sleeping (aka doing nothing) isn’t an option when you’ve been made alive by the One who called you to….
your fellow wounded and willing to be in the war - sister,
Hey Pricelis! Thanks for your article. I respect how you reject the tribalism that characterizes so much political dialogue. Reading your article, I was horrified to consider a school advocating for slavery, claiming that it was good for the enslaved. However, when I was researching this, I was unable to find anything in the 2022 FL law about slavery benefiting African Americans. Could you provide a source?