wokeculture:How Becoming “Woke” Changed My Life by Sienna.Woke (adj.): the state of
wokeculture: How Becoming “Woke” Changed My Life by Sienna. Woke (adj.): the state of being aware of and informed about social and global issues. One may wonder how a white cisgender fifteen-year old girl such as myself has spent her time at the dinner table arguing to her relatives about how “terrorism has no religion,” or how “reverse racism isn’t real,” instead of complimenting the food on her plate. Or how ordinary school nights now consist of watching Democratic and Republican debates instead of working on the homework piling up on her desk. The transformation of a regular teenager to a justice-seeking feminist started with a book I was given on my 9th birthday called Girl Power by Steve Riach. At this point in my life I did not care, or even know, about much; global issues, racism and equality were the least of my worries. In school, they did not teach children why we were at war with the Middle East or what being gay was. I, like most of my peers, were oblivious to what was happening outside of the doors of the luxurious comforts we were given. It did not hit me that I could be a child in a third-world country, fighting for survival, if I was not granted with the life I so-graciously had already. However, this book was the spark that changed my way of thinking. It features stories of inspirational women such as Bethany Hamilton, Alexandra Scott, Lauren Hillenbrand, Ila Borders, Dr. Sally Ride, Allyson Felix, and many more women athletes, doctors, politicians, and CEOs. These stories empowered me to look at myself in a different light- I was proud to be a woman. That was only the beginning of my journey. It continued as I grew older, spending more and more time in school learning about useless algebraic formulas instead of climate change. The next step I took to open my eyes to my surroundings was eighth grade. Eighth grade for me was a social experiment; I thought I was comfortable in my skin, with my friends, my style, and my views on the world. I thought I had myself found out. Little did I know, I would look at my then self from my now self with disappointment. Only three things of my last year of middle school proved to help me shape who I am today. It was Black History Month, and I was assigned a project by my english teacher, a vibrant, energetic and strict African-American woman, who not only teached me vital writing skills, but how important culture appreciation was. During that month, we were given the assignment to do a report and then a live presentation on a POC from a list she had made. For me, she requested Condoleezza Rice, since she knew that I loved politics and debate. To this day, I still remember my speech I had to give in front of countless individuals in a business dress with red lipstick and an American flag waving behind me. This project helped me with my communication skills, but most importantly it helped me appreciate black culture and how it was displayed in society. The second part of eighth grade that helped form the being I am today was Literature class. Like my English teacher, my Literature teacher was a character as well. I related to her; she was bold and a lover of all things, well, literature. If she could be described in one quote, it would be “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” by Shakespeare. Towards the end of the year we read a part of the novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Shortly after, I went out to purchase this book, and read from cover to back. The story, Angelou’s autobiography, features themes of racism and rape. Because of my teacher, Maya Angelou, an African American poet, author, and civil rights activist became one of my favorite writers. The last part of eighth grade that proved to be the only thing important were the people. As much as I despised half of the student body, every thing that came out of their mouths taught me a lesson. I could not tell you how many times a day I heard the words “gay,” “lesbian,” “slut,” or “whore” thrown around like they were nothing- but they were something. This taught me at a young age, we were so careless of what we said, of the labels we gave, the people we stereotyped. It surprised me that boys would joke around about rape or abuse or a sexuality; but the girls weren’t any better, since everyone was eachother’s “main bitch.” During this past year, many other vital events happened. I met my best friend for the first time, one who taught me a lot on feminism and equality through her same-sex parents, whom I love. I signed up for a Twitter account, where I was always kept up to date on global issues, and even started following accounts and people such as lexi4prez, blige, Laverne Cox, humanrightscampaign, and more. I live my life today as a proud intersectional feminist, and an individual who falls under the “Q” portion of LGBTQ+. Now, as an informed and educated woman, I am still making any attempt to gain more knowledge in order to become as “woke” as I need to be, in order educate others my age on our world. -- source link