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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final Sunday sermon was titled, “Remaining Awake Through A Great Revolution.” In other words, he was advising us to stay woke. Today, that term has become a political slur. “Woke” is at the very center of our culture wars – especially as we enter a contentious election year. But like a lot of slang words, woke has an origin story that’s got little to do with how it’s used now. 

Host Kai Wright is joined by Alvin Singh, great-great nephew Lead Belly and producer of the documentary Lead Belly: The Man Invented Rock & Roll. Together, they explore the folk singer who popularized the term, and the landmark civil rights case that inspired him to issue a note of caution to Black America. Then, Juliet Hooker, Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Political Science at Brown University and author of Black Grief/White Grievance: The Politics of Loss, and Maimouna “Mumu Fresh” Youssef, Grammy-nominated Afro-Indigenous singer, songwriter, and activist, join for a conversation about the current sociopolitical landscape and the true motivations behind the co-opting of “wokeness.” Plus, a live audience at the Apollo Theater contributes ideas on what we need to “stay woke” today.

This conversation was programmed as part of The Apollo’s Uptown Hall series and originally recorded on Sunday, January 14 at 2pm ET. This 18th annual co-production between The Apollo and WNYC, two of New York City’s leading media and cultural institutions, has become the city’s signature event commemorating the political, cultural, and social legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tell us what you think. Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here. We’re on Instagram and X (Twitter) @noteswithkai.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.