Wokeness: A Response to Phil Ebersole

 Phil Ebersole is a retired reporter for the Rochester New York Democrat and Chronicle who blogs at https://philebersole.wordpress.com/ recently posted a piece about wokeness entitled What is this thing called "Woke?" From the outset he is well reasoned and takes so called woke advocates seriously. Agree or disagree with Ebersole he displays an openness and recognition of nuance when writing " Some parts may be good, some parts may be bad, some parts may be good up to a point and counterproductive beyond that point, and some points are used by plutocrats and militarists to divide and rule." Liberals like Mark Lilla author of The Once and Future Liberal and Leftists like Adolph Reed completely dismiss issues related to race, gender, and LGBTQ rights as a distraction or divisive Phil Ebersole does not. 

He also lays out several ideas associated with woke advocates including oppressed and oppressor are based on identity, justice for the collective is more important than individual rights, and race and race prejudice are baked into American culture. At this point one has to question the idea of wokeness as a way to understand certain various struggles for social change. The term wokeness came out the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Revolution in the 1960s. It meant staying aware and conscious of the need for struggle. Change didn't come from token measures or symbolism. It was important not give up or be distracted. This was the meaning of woke. At some point contemporary Anti Racists activists and supporters of Black Lives Matter sought to revive the term in relation to current protests. However, the notion of wokeness came to be identified with struggles for gender equality, LGBTQ Rights, and even climate change too. The political right seized onto the term and made it into something negative to discredit various activist efforts, Liberals, and the Left in general. The problem with using woke as an umbrella term or concept is that it lumps disparate groups and activist struggles together that often have nothing to do with each other. There are black activists concerned about racism who have nothing to do with gender equality, LGBTQ issues, or climate change. There are Feminists fighting for abortion rights and associated with the Me Too Movement that have nothing to do with climate change activism or race. There are single issue climate activists and those concerned only with LGBTQ rights. Furthermore, within in all these struggles there are differences about political goals, methods, ideology, and thought. Ultimately, Phil Ebersole disagrees with wokeness. He says, " they are a break from the old time twentieth century Liberalism and Progressivism which is based on equal rights for all and special privileges for none." 

Notions of wokeness and identity politics are less important than real problems and issues that impact whole groups of people. Think about things like racial discrimination against black homeowners, working women paid less than men doing the same work, facing sexual harassment on the job, LGBTQ persons lacking basic civil rights protections in most states, and transgender people in particular face violence while being dismissed by many. In all these cases people are defined and subordinated collectively. They don't have choices or the ability to follow self-chosen goals as free individuals. Therefore people in the same situation with common interests come together through activism and political action to challenge unjust treatment. This part of American history. In fact, the American colonists, workers fighting for unions, and agrarian populists all through American history came together to fight for freedom and their material wellbeing. Why are blacks, women, or LGBTQ people different? All politics involves groups and identities in some sense. Ebersole and other critics of so called wokeness and identity politics fail to consider this. But he keeps the door open writing " My plea is for adherents of the new ideology to openly articulate their principles, and give reasons for them, and not to expect nor demand automatic acceptance."

Of course, there are excesses and bad ideas associated with any struggle for social change. Liberals have to be critical of such things. Cancel culture and those advocating bans on hate speech are rightly opposed by Liberals. At the same time, we have to leave room for disagreement among reasonable people without charges of racism, sexism, or homophobia being leveled against individuals. Nobody gets everything they want in the democratic process. Affirmative action as a tool in reducing racial discrimination is controversial and very unpopular among whites. The Supreme Court may likely strike it down. Almost four decades ago the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution failed to get enough states for ratification. Ensuring basic civil rights for LGBTQ people will have to be balanced against religious liberty. Activists, intellectuals, and other individuals concerned about different issues won't be pleased. Some will continue to advocate calling out racism, sexism, and homophobia. However, most people are better off because of the reforms. Those changes will not happen without agitation that is often dismissed as wokeness or identity politics. Liberals and leftists who side with Conservative opponents of social change and equality completely rejecting wokeness or identity politics are making a grave mistake. 

None of this means the problems faced by all working people don't matter. The economy isn't working well for the average person regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Far too many of us live paycheck to paycheck, lack retirement savings, and face financial ruin trying pay medical bills. If you could get all kinds of ordinary working people together in a room talking about their economic struggles and worries there would be blacks, whites, Latinos, men, and women. There might also be gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and just maybe a transgender person. It's likely they would all agree about the need for a higher Federal Minimum Wage. They would probably support paid family leave and want more affordable healthcare. All of this makes an activist and political struggle for an economy that benefits working people not just monied elites essential. However that economy and society won't benefit all working people if certain people are denied rights, opportunity, and material wellbeing because of race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The struggles around race and other issues matter just as much. Liberals and the Left should reject the false choice between economic or class issues and struggkes against racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Furthermore, we cannot ignore climate change because our survival depends on it. Making the good on the promise of freedom and equality for every American depends addressing all these issues.