By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer
Throughout their federal election campaign, the Conservative party has been promoting an “anti-woke” agenda. It draws similarities to US Republican politics, especially regarding education. They provide no definition of what constitutes “woke” or any real acknowledgement of where the term originates from — instead, the term is prompted as a faceless threat. While the Conservatives lost the election, falling 26 seats behind the Liberals, it is concerning that they are attacking education through divisive rhetoric in the sphere of mainstream politics. The attack on “woke” is an attack on free thinking, as the term itself has to do with the process of becoming educated.
The term woke originates from the civil rights movement and first alluded to becoming “woke” to the injustices that surround us. It is literally the past tense of “wake up,” referring to the notion that we were previously unaware of an unjust reality (“asleep”). In a contemporary context, the term is still used to highlight the importance of addressing societal issues. However, the term has been painted as negative by far-right groups who associate it with institutional control. In an interview with PBS, economist Jessica Riedl from the Manhattan Institute described Trump’s proposed budget cuts as a clear reflection of his “governing philosophy.” It is essentially a “war on woke.” In the budget report the term is mentioned 12 times and is used pejoratively.
The cuts proposed by the Republican party have to do with slashing funds to underrepresented areas within STEM, such as environmental research and work around economic equity. Nearly $12 billion is proposed to be cut from the Education Department, and $1.8 billion has already been cut from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Before the cuts, NIH was a thoroughly peer-reviewed and reliable source for health related information and provided accessible knowledge for many, yet it was described as “too big and unfocused” by Trump.
In Canada, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to end “woke” ideology. In their costed platform, the party stated their intention to “put an end to the imposition of the woke ideology in the federal public service and in the allocation of federal funds for university research.” This plan is eerily similar to Trump’s rhetoric. Poilievre claims in an interview that the term woke “divides people into these different groups.” The framing of the word woke by the party leader is troubling as it completely distorts what the word means. He has deliberately created misinformation around the term as a way to strike resentment towards progressives and create distrust in academia. During a time where inequality grows, the Conservatives’ pledge to cut research funding is a step backwards.
While the Conservatives will not be in power, it is important that they work on their messaging. With more than 8 million of the population’s vote, the party still has strong support in Canada — especially with 57% of Canadians disagreeing with equity and inclusion initiatives, which aim to lessen barriers for marginalized people by providing better access to jobs and education. The attack on education, especially that which addresses important topics around inequality, should not exist within the party’s platform. Weaponizing the word woke as something dangerous is the true divisive messaging. If the party does not want to be seen as “far-right” or aligned with American Republicans, they need to stop co-opting their approaches.
