My oldest daughter comments to me that I’ve been “woke” for a long time. I studied some in my early 20s. I remember declaring that I was on a quest for knowledge when I was about 18. I started reading about Malcolm X and sifting through things to learn why it was important to appreciate my blackness. I learned about being hated and why it was important for us to understand our history and our culture. At 20 years old, I didn’t know that what I was learning would lay the groundwork for a lifetime of learning and unlearning. Twenty-one years later and I feel like I’ve come full circle and still recognize exactly how far I have to go. Being “woke” in 2015 means that I understand a lot of the ramifications of structural racism, white supremacy, and the war on black people in a way that dictates how I walk, talk, and move through my life. Being “woke” in 2015 means that I understand how the system was set up to cripple our people financially, emotionally, and psychologically. ...