It is hard to keep up when words are re-defined. Consider the word Woke. Capitalizing the word announces it is no longer related to being awake. It now represents a cornucopia of social concerns such as white fragility, intersectionality, white supremacy, systemic racism, white privilege, critical race theory and social justice. These words and phrases each have their own definitions, usually presented in turgid faculty lounge phrasing.

Despite its odd connotation, Woke contains some truth. The American society is divided unfairly by race and class. Woke activists claim that Blacks, indigenous and people of color, known as BIPOC, deserve special treatment through diversity, equity, and inclusion, known as DEI. However, this places people in racial, ethnic, religious or cultural groupings while de-emphasizing the individual’s competence or merit. DEI advocates adjusting standards to accommodate people in any venture they choose without evaluating their individual characteristics or abilities. This is particularly worrisome when considering life safety fields like medicine or air travel.

Woke activists have a point regarding societal problems, but they offer little evidence of the true cause other than broadly blaming whites. Regarding causation, it is useful to review President Johnson’s 1965 Great Society legislation.

Following the Second World War, the general population poverty rate declined significantly. In 1960, 22% of the US population was living in poverty. By 1970, just 12% were below the poverty level. However, the overall rate for Blacks at the start of that decade was much worse at 56% percent. As the Great Society targeted programs began to take effect, however, Black poverty dropped precipitously to below 33% by 1970. From 1970 to 2020, the general US poverty rate remained, with minor variations, at 12% while the overall Black poverty rate declined from 33% to 17%. For single Black women head of households, the poverty rate was cut in half, from 58% to 25%. Based on poverty rates, the Great Society was a success for Blacks. President Johnson knew that those his legislation helped would be grateful. It was rumored but never confirmed that he said: “I’ll have these folks voting Democratic for 200 years.”

While the reduced Black poverty rate is commendable, Johnson’s legislation contained conditions that limited the low-income urban Black’s ability to gain self-sufficiency. They lacked job prospects, had dreadful education services and commercial enterprises were scarce. Restrictive grants to unwed mothers discouraged formation of two parent households. Added to these constraints was dependence on aid programs such as SNAP, WIC, CHIP, TANF, Section 8 housing and school meal programs. The result of these effects over decades is that the urban poor have become dependent on government largess.

And as Johnson predicted, they vote in overwhelming numbers for Democrat candidates. One example is Pennsylvania’s 2020 presidential election, which Biden won by 81,660 votes. In poor Black sections of Philadelphia, they chose Biden over Trump by 158,922 votes, assuring Biden’s statewide win.

The trend was repeated in the 2022 senate race when John Fetterman, who was barely able to speak while recovering from a serious stroke, soundly defeated Republican Mehmet Oz.

Yes, there is white supremacy, systemic racism and white privilege in America. But it is the progressive wing of the Democratic party that is its primary practitioner. They are using the plight of the low-income urban Black’s to retain electoral power. Is it not ironic that loudest proponents of diversity, equity and inclusion are also the most vociferous supporters of the failed policies that subjugated the Blacks in the first place? It is time to acknowledge and end this progressive travesty.

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