Proverbs 20:13Do not love sleep, lest you become impoverished; open your eyes so that you might be satisfied with food.Proverbs Daily is a reader and listener supported program. Every post is free, but if you’d like to help spread the message and make the sacred positively contagious consider being a free or paid subscriber. Just look for the word upgrade or subscribe and click on that. Thanks in advance!I like to call this a ‘Stay Woke’ verse because it warns against the dangers of complacency. And I mean “A STAY WOKE VERSE” because just like so many verses in the bible, this isn't just about avoiding laziness; it's a call to vigilance. In our context, it warns against apathy and indifference. It’s saying that true poverty is disengagement, which leads to disenfranchisement.The command to "open your eyes" is a sacred directive to remain alert and proactive in safeguarding the rights of the vulnerable.The Roots of "Stay Woke"Now this phrase "stay woke" has deep roots in the Black community:* 1920s: Marcus Garvey circulated his popular Newsletter with the clarion call: Wake up Africa!* 1938: Bluesman Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly recorded "Scottsboro Boys," ending the song with the words "best stay woke."* 1962: The New York Times article "If You're Woke You Dig It" explored the cultural appropriation of Black slang to politics.* During the Vietnam War: Black soldiers use the term stay woke to stay alert, both to enemies on the outside as well as internal racial threats from White soldiers.* 2010s: The term resurge with the Black Lives Matter movement, symbolizing awareness of racial injustices and systematic inequalities.* 2016: To top it off: Childish Gambino’s song "Redbone" brought "stay woke" back into popular culture, especially when the same song blew up as part of the soundtrack for Jordan Peele's blockbuster movie "Get Out.".It seems like a Mantra that’s bigger than a slang termThe Demonization of "Woke"But as its popularity grew, so did efforts to discredit it. Critics, often from conservative circles, labeled it as divisive or liberal code speak.I recall a conversation with a dear friend, a conservative pastor I deeply love and respect. He used "them woke folk" while talking about a group of certain people, and I challenged him:"How many times in the Bible does the idea of awakening out of slumber appear? And how is it that you could disparage the idea of an oppressed people ringing the alarm to one another and the world for vigilance and deep awareness?"The Current Battle: Texas RedistrictingThe call to "stay woke" is more urgent than ever. Democrats in the Texas House just returned to Austin after leaving the state to block Republican-led efforts to redraw congressional districts. But today, Texas Republicans are pushing through a state-wide redistricting plan that could flip five Democratic seats in the 2026 midterms. Yes, we talked about this about two weeks ago, but I want you to wake up to this: The newly redrawn districts will seriously dilute the voting power of Black and Latino communities. Under the proposed maps, white voters—who make up 40% of the state's population—would have one congressional representative for every 445,000 people. In contrast, Latino voters, who are the state's largest population group, would have one representative for every 1.4 million people, and Black voters, who constitute about 13% of the population, would have one representative for every 2 million people. This means* A single white vote would carry the weight of approximately 3.15 Latino votes.* A single white vote would carry the weight of approximately 4.49 Black votes.In other words, white Texans who make up just under 40% of the population would control 70% of the congressional districts despite Latino voters being slightly more than 40% of the population of the state.How can something like this happen? Only if we all stayed complacent, and lulled to sleep by the poli-tricks of the day. But if we all open our eyes?Could we model the Beloved Community that would satisfy the deep hunger for equality that’s within all of our souls? I think it could happen if we: Stay Woke.🙏🏽 Prayer"God, wake us all up–to what’s really going on."💡 Today’s Challenge:Reflect on areas where you may have become complacent. Ask a friend to help you see what you can’t see. Awaken and stay woke, stay engaged, and stay faithful.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now!Be Wise and Be Well...peace.Thanks for reading Proverbs Daily! This post is public so feel free to share it.
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