Opinion: It's not enough just to know buzzwords to understand social justice

Let’s talk about being conscious.

Not “conscious” as in that cruel moment when we’re taken away from our dreams every morning. I’m talking about conscious as in being socially conscious. It’s a word we throw around sometimes in activist circles.

He is conscious, she is conscious, they are conscious … (of such societal problems like racism, sexism, ageism, etc.).

As a University, for example, UNC is typically described as having a socially conscious student body. We’re a progressive haven in a generally conservative South. Here, social activists can easily find their niche and the opportunities for "changing the world" seem endless. 

The University upholds such programs as the Buckley Public Service Scholars, promotes various forms of community service and requires an experiential education credit for graduation so students can interact with our communities in meaningful ways.

All of these are great, but is it enough?

As we go to tutor young students in local elementary schools or fight against such issues as poverty and hunger, we have to take a hard look at ourselves and ask: “Am I really conscious?”

Self-reflection in these circles is quite hard, some might even say intimidating — but it’s important. Being conscious isn’t about the work we are doing, but why we are doing it. We can donate to as many charities as we want, but if we don’t have a real understanding of the root causes of the issues we fight, we may be doing more harm than good.

Honestly, it’s really easy to be only a little bit involved — it feels good! Condemning police brutality on social media or participating in convenient rallies are a great way to be a part of certain movements. It puts us in a position to feel close enough to the fire without actually being burnt, and allow us to truly say, “OK, I did my part.”

But, we are in desperate need of socially conscious individuals, and in order to really say we did our part, it requires a little more effort. It necessitates studying the issues, staying updated on current events and never ceasing to ask questions. More so, it requires a dynamic analysis of power structures and our roles within those power structures.

That effort marks the difference between being truly conscious to the reality of social issues and being "fake-woke."

The tendency to be fake-woke, or superficially socially conscious, seems to have erupted in recent years. We’ve grown accustomed to knowing what’s politically correct, what’s right to say, what’s wrong to say and while it may seem like progress, it’s turning us into robots more than actually conscious individuals. Now, that doesn’t mean that being politically correct or cognizant of other peoples’ experiences is wrong, it’s just that the intent and knowledge behind that action is more important.

For example, it seems that we’re getting closer to the consensus that the United States has been founded on systems and institutions that prioritize some and harm others. But, how many of us, if asked, can name such institutions and describe their role in marginalizing various groups? If we can, that’s great.

If we cannot, there’s no shame in that, it’s just another reason to recognize the work we have to do in order to be more socially aware. There’s power in engaging in self-reflection, and there’s power in listening to people with marginalized identities. 

If we want to build a more inclusive community, we need to get conscious and stay conscious. Really.