The phrase "stay woke" has long been used in Black communities to indicate staying alert to others' deception--especially law enforcement--as a survival mechanism, but in 2014 "stay woke" became common usage among Black Lives Matter activists after the police killing of Michael Brown, bringing it into the wider lexicon. In an interview about the song, Belly said, "Stay woke, keep your eyes open." Waking up is a damn sight harder than going to sleep, but we'll stay woke up longer." Therefore, we cannot aim merely to be good Negro teachers, good Negro doctors, good Negro ministers, good Negro skilled labours. Today both the usage of "woke" and the phrase "stay woke" have become so common that many do not remember its origins in AAVE.

Source: Washington Post June 01, 2023 19:00 UTC