CHICAGO — Black people have never been a monolith. It’s why damaging stereotypes and labels don’t make sense. So, on Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention, EBONY let attendees speak on who they, and we, are.
With diversity, equity and inclusion under attack, “wokeness” being used as a new way to say the N-word and Black jobs being utilized as a description for work that is viewed as “less than,” it was time to hear from the people who’ve had to put up with it all. The timing was perfect, as this discussion with attendees came a day after Michelle Obama reminded Donald Trump that “the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs.’”
To further prove how inflammatory language and prejudice presumptions are tools of the lazy and willfully ignorant, Wednesday night was headlined by two dynamic speakers in particular: Wes Moore, the first Black governor of Maryland, and Oprah Winfrey, a Black billionaire. This week in Chicago hasn’t just been a political spectacle; it’s been a picture of Black prominence.
EBONY was on the ground at the United Center, flipping the narrative by asking three simple questions:
How do you define “woke?”
Do you have a “Black job?”
Are you a “DEI hire?
Here, several prominent attendees share their answers.
Dara Kennedy — TV Anchor/Host:
“Woke is us understanding how we think, how we talk and how we move throughout life. And when I say we, I mean people of color. Us understanding who we are and what we’re up against every day, that’s woke to me. Be woke. Be aware. Know what’s going on…It’s not the version of woke that mainstream media and non-minority individuals have claimed it to be.”
“Black jobs don’t exist. It’s false. It’s fake. It’s made up. I do not have a Black job. I have a job that pays me. I am of color. I am a Black woman. Black jobs don’t exist.”
“I don’t know if I’m a DEI hire (laughs.) I need to check the paperwork. I would think not. I think that all of my years of education and experience in broadcasting and journalism helped get me to this point, but I really don’t know if they checked the box because I’m a Black woman. I would hope not. But no, I am not a DEI hire.”
Tennille McCoy — New Jersey Assemblywoman:
“Woke is being educated on the particular issues that are happening within your community.”
“Of course, I have a Black job! (laughs.) As an African American woman, I am an assemblywoman in New Jersey. And I am the first person of color to be able to have this seat in the 14th District.”
“No, I’m not a DEI hire. I have an MBA from the London School of Economics. I’ve done the work.”
Kyle Adams — Political Strategist:
“Woke is someone who is educated and has the full knowledge of how policies are affecting them in their communities, especially how systems have played a role in their lives.”
“I think I’ve got a Black job. I like my job, and it’s a good Black job and I really enjoy it. Working as a strategist who primarily works in political races with Black candidates in the state of Alabama, if it’s a Black job, then I consider it an important Black job.”
“I do not think I am a DEI hire. I am at a firm that is predominately Black, and I’m interested in what a DEI hire would look like at a Black-owned firm.”
Sean Ryan — Communications Specialist:
“Woke is being incredibly aware of the systemic inequalities that are put in place that uphold white supremacy and continue to perpetuate Jim Crow-era policies. Broadly, being woke is just being vigilant in attacking injustice. The term is being weaponized by the other side in a way that is counterproductive, harmful and problematic.”
“I absolutely have a Black job. Every job is a Black job, and me being a communications specialist, is most certainly a Black job.”
“I am a DEI hire. I am diverse and equity-included.”
Laurie Antonin — Advocacy Content Creator:
“I have a love/hate relationship with the word ‘woke.’ That word has reached an expiring date. In the moment, it was important for people to understand how they measured themselves in the current moment in time when they needed to know what’s going on…If we have to come up with terms to get people there faster, I think that’s positive. But I also think that we have to progressively think of new ways to get people there.”
“Hell yes, I have a Black job. I have an amazing job! I have the kind of job that everybody wants to have…we’re creators from time. And I think the way we’re taking that word and defining and putting meaning and value into it, to make it more about us, is great.”
“I’m absolutely not a DEI hire. I created the space that I’m in. I do this to create content and change the way people live their lives every day.”
