Author Ijeoma Oluo wrote:
The most common defintions of racism are as follows: (1) Racism is any prejudice against someone because of their race. Or (2) Racism is any prejudice against someone because of their race, when those views are reinforced by systems of power. While these two definitions are very close to each other in many ways, the differences between these two definitions of racism drastically change how you look at and address racism in America.
For the purposes of this book, I'm going to use the second definition of racism: a prejudice against someone based on race, when those prejudices are reinforced by systems of power. And this is the definition I recommend you use in your day-to-day life if your goal is to reduce the systemic harm done to people of color by racism in America. Let me explain why.
When we use only the first definition of racism, as any prejudice against someone based on race, we inaccurately reduce issues of race in America to a battle for the hearts and minds of individual racists--instead of seeing racists, racist behaviors, and racial oppression as part of a larger system....
The truth is, you don't even have to "be racist" to be a part of a racist system.
While they were clearly writing about the USA, the same systems of oppression exist in the UK, and most other Western nations, as a result of the history of colonialism, slavery, and the exploitation that accompanied those.
Whatever the dictionary definition, 'woke' is simply recognising the systems of oppression, and the behaviour that results. TBH, I don't think that any white folks really need to use the term.
For folks who want to 'get along', recognising, and helping to address the racism in the system is necessary.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom