Woke 1 Was Crazy But What Does It Mean Now | New York City News

New York City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 12, 2026 · 1m

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sparked a firestorm by calling early pandemic-era “Woke 1” rhetoric “crazy,” reigniting debate within progressive circles. While some applaud her pivot as smart political strategy—distancing from now-unpopular ideas—others see it as a betrayal of the racial and economic justice movement that birthed those calls. The term “woke” itself is contested: advocates like Jumaane Williams say it’s about real reforms in policing and community investment, while critics like Tiffany Cabán and Sandy Nurse reject abandoning proven policies just because the political…