'Woke' was once a code word against racial injustice | Top 10

+ corporate tax breaks drain school budgets US Edition - Today's top story: Back in the day, being woke meant being smart [View in browser]( US Edition | 18 February 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [Is Russia looking to put nukes in space? Doing so would undermine global stability and ignite an anti-satellite arms race]( - [Navalny dies in prison, authorities say − but his blueprint for anti-Putin activism will live on]( I learned the word “woke” only a few years ago from one of my colleagues at The Conversation. If memory serves, he defined it as being aware of or attuned to what’s really going on, such as in terms of systems of power. I was intrigued, but I didn’t think it was something that could threaten the fabric of American life. So I’ve been a bit stunned in recent years by how conservatives have adopted the word to mean just that, using it as an umbrella term for many of the cultural changes in the U.S. they don’t like. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who made a war against woke central to his presidential campaign, defined it in 2023 as “a form of cultural Marxism. It’s about putting merit and achievement behind identity politics, and it’s basically a war on the truth.” “DeSantis couldn’t be more wrong,” wrote Ronald E. Hall, a behavioral scientist who studies race at Michigan State University. In one of [last week’s most engaging articles]( for readers, Hall explained the origins of woke as a code among Black people during the days of Jim Crow and how it’s been used since as a warning to be aware of racial injustices. “Being woke was part of the unwritten vocabulary that Black people established to talk with each other in a way that outsiders could not understand,” he wrote. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks Demonstrators march on Jan. 1, 1934, in Washington against the unjust trials of nine Black men falsely accused of raping two white women. Bettmann/Getty Images [Back in the day, being woke meant being smart]( Ronald E. Hall, Michigan State University Conservative politicians have launched attacks against the use of the word “woke.” If they knew the history of the word, they might stop wasting their time. - [Are you really in love? How expanding your love lexicon can change your relationships and how you see yourself]( Georgi Gardiner, University of Tennessee Words have power, and what vocabulary you have at your disposal to describe your relationships with other people can shape what directions those relationships can take. - [Pakistan’s post-election crisis – how anti-army vote may deliver an unstable government that falls into the military’s hands]( Ayesha Jalal, Tufts University The PTI, the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, won the most seats of any one party – but fell short of reaching the threshold for a majority government. - [A brief history of Dearborn, Michigan – the first Arab-American majority city in the US]( Sally Howell, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Amny Shuraydi, University of Michigan-Dearborn The city often becomes a magnet for anti-Arab sentiment during election years and global conflicts; however, the more interesting story is what happens in the city when the spotlight is turned off. - [Why the United States needs NATO – 3 things to know]( Klaus W. Larres, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Donald Trump has threatened to not defend some NATO countries if Russia attacks them. But the US also benefits from the power that NATO gives it, as well as the stability it helped create in Europe. Editors' picks Exxon Mobil Corp.’s campus in East Baton Rouge Parish, left, received millions in tax abatements to the detriment of local schools, right. Barry Lewis/Getty Images, Tjean314/Wikimedia [Students lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses − draining school budgets and especially hurting the poorest students]( Christine Wen, Texas A&M University; Danielle McLean, The Conversation; Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder; Nathan Jensen, The University of Texas at Austin An estimated 95% of US cities provide economic development tax incentives to woo corporate investors, taking billions away from schools. - [Several companies are testing brain implants – why is there so much attention swirling around Neuralink? Two professors unpack the ethical issues]( Nancy S. Jecker, University of Washington; Andrew Ko, University of Washington Brain-computer interface devices have the potential to boost users’ autonomy, especially for people who experience paralysis. But that comes with risks, as well. - [Saving the news media means moving beyond the benevolence of billionaires]( Rodney Benson, New York University; Victor Pickard, University of Pennsylvania How can an industry experiencing systemic failure get back on its feet? - [Mexico is suing US gun-makers for arming its gangs − and a US court could award billions in damages]( Timothy D. Lytton, Georgia State University Mexico claims that US firearm manufacturers are fueling illegal cross-border gun trafficking and violent crime abroad. - [Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers shut down the Gulf Stream, we would see extreme climate change within decades, study shows]( René van Westen, Utrecht University; Henk A. Dijkstra, Utrecht University; Michael Kliphuis, Utrecht University Scientists now have a better understanding of the risks ahead and a new early warning signal to watch for. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. This week, questions on school budgets, impeachments and Washington's dentures. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](