What Everyone Needs to Know About the Anti-Woke Movement

June 20, 2025

Kimberlé Crenshaw, an author, civil rights advocate, and critical race theory scholar outlines the danger of co-opting ‘woke’ terminology, book bans, and the Trump administration’s attempts at cultural erasure.

This article was originally published on The Emancipator.

Last Updated on June 26, 2025 by Serena Zehlius, Editor

“The effort to erase memory is probably the most fundamental tactic in the anti-woke book. It is why they are trying to ban books. It’s why they’re trying to attack the Smithsonian — we call it lovingly the Blacksonian. There are artifacts of the real history that we have lived that are undeniable indicators that race [and] racism have been real. They have been the pillars upon which this society has been built.”

Watch Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights advocate and legal and critical race theory scholar, explain what you need to know about the concerted effort to erase the stories, histories, and voices of marginalized people and the importance of active resistance.

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The Emancipator Staff

Our mission, like those who came before us, is to leverage the power of journalism to turn public opinion against racist policies and ideas. We expose the history, harms, and pervasiveness of racial inequity and injustice in all aspects of life, and explore solutions for its abolition. From health disparities and the wealth gap to climate inequality and police violence, The Emancipator is confronting the biggest racial justice issues of our time.