'Woke panic': How did we get here?

PERSPECTIVE © FRANCE 24

Whether you like it or not, the term "woke" has entered our vocabulary. Born out of the anti-racist struggles of African Americans in the 1950s, it initially meant awake or politically aware. More recently, its meaning has morphed into a derogatory term, often used by right-wing commentators, for people who fight for a cause. Here in France, the term le wokisme is also emerging, but nearly always in its negative connotation. In Perspective, we spoke to Alex Mahoudeau, author of "La panique woke, anatomie d'une offensive réactionnaire", or "Woke panic, anatomy of a reactionary offensive".