The use of the phrase "woke" has strayed far from its roots and has been co-opted by conservatives and mainstream culture to discredit calls for accountability and justice.
Despite AAVE being popularized in pop culture, Black people are still ridiculed in workplaces, classrooms, and other parts of society for using it.
Non-Black people's use of N-word alternatives is a harmful attempt to get close to the original slur. Even with modifications, the N-word is not theirs to reclaim.
