It’s now official: the word wokisme joins the 59,000 terms of the French language in the ninth edition of Dictionary of the French Academy. Behind this recognition lies much more than a simple linguistic inscription.
This word, born from a current of thought aimed at raising awareness of injustices, has become the symbol of an era in search of social justice, but also the scene of passionate controversies.
However, the definition attributed to it, although necessary, seems incomplete. Wokism, this word loaded with meaning, deserved better.
A word rooted in history
Reducing Wokism to a movement of the 2000s born in the United States, as the French Academy proposes, is to obscure its deep origins.
This term is first and foremost a cry of warning from African-American culture, a call to remain “awake” in the face of racial and systemic injustices. From the fight for civil rights in the 1960s to the Black Lives Matter movement, wokism carries with it the legacy of fights for emancipation and equality.
These historical roots, absent from the current definition, are nevertheless essential to understand the depth, legitimacy and possible deviations of this concept.
A phenomenon that transcends borders
Over time, wokism has globalized, embracing multiple causes: sexism, homophobia, ecology, social justice. This intersectional perspective, which links various forms of discrimination, is at the heart of its current resonance.
Today, it influences practices such as inclusive language, corporate diversity policies, and even environmental movements.
But this globalization has also generated resistance, particularly in the face of republican ideals and secularism.
This clash of perspectives, reflecting divergent visions of inclusion and justice, deserved to be included in the definition.
A mirror held up to our societies
Wokism reveals the tensions that run through our societies. It raises fundamental questions: how far can we go to redress historical injustices? How to combine freedom of expression and respect for differences?
Its supporters see it as a necessary awakening, a lever to build a more equitable society. Its detractors perceive a dogmatic drift, a threat to traditions and the debate of ideas. These controversies are not peripheral details: they are at the heart of how our societies redefine themselves.
By omitting these dimensions, the current definition illustrates the limits of the French Academy in the face of the rapid evolution of social phenomena. Including wokism in the Dictionaryhowever, is much more than a lexicographical act: it is an opportunity to reflect on a movement that shapes our discourses and our institutions. To reduce this word to a simplistic definition is to ignore its ambiguities and its impact, while missing the tensions and hopes of an era in search of awakening.
And you, what place do you give to this awakening in our changing societies?
