Woke: The Journey of a Word

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Matthew Syed traces the history of a term that's synonymous with our era of angry debate.

Matthew Syed traces the history of a term that's now synonymous with our era of angry debate.

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Woke: The Journey of a Word: 1. The Scottsboro Boys

1. The Scottsboro Boys

BBC Radio 4 - Woke: The Journey of a Word, 1. The Scottsboro Boys

Matthew Syed traces the evolution of the word 'woke' from its first appearance in 1938.

Matthew Syed traces the evolution of a term that is synonymous with our era of angry debate. He begins with the first ever use of 'woke', found on a folk recording from 1938.

Matthew Syed traces the origins and evolution of the word 'woke', a term that's become synonymous with our era of angry debate. 

Once a watchword for African Americans in the early 1900s, 'woke' is now used as an insult across the political spectrum. As the word has spread, what people actually mean by it has become less clear than ever. In this series, Matthew follows the evolution of 'woke' through five key stories.

He begins with the first ever use of 'woke', appearing on a 1938 recording by the musician Lead Belly.  The track, entitled 'Scottsboro Boys', describes the plight of nine young Black men wrongly accused of rape in Alabama in 1931. Matthew hears the story of the Scottsboro Boys, discovering how their case became became international symbol of race-based injustice and a nucleus of the US Civil Rights Movement. He looks into the extraordinary life of Lead Belly and uncovers what the singer meant when he instructed people to "stay woke, keep their eyes open.” What relationship do these words have to the way 'woke' is used today?

Featuring Peggy Parks Miller, niece of the Scottsboro Boy Clarence Norris, and Kip Lornell, Professor of Music, History & Culture at George Washington University and co-author of 'The Life and Legend of Leadbelly'

Presented by Matthew Syed
Produced by Sam Peach

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Woke: The Journey of a Word

1. The Scottsboro Boys

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