'Woke' is not a negative term, says first black female C of E bishop in rebuke to ministers

"Woke" should not be used as a negative term, the Church of England's first black female bishop has said, in a stinging rebuke against government ministers and others "who are threatened" by the social justice movement.

- Harriet Sherwood

Such people wanted others to think "being woke is a sin created by the left", the Right Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the bishop of Dover, told the church's ruling assembly, the General Synod.

It decided by 364 votes to zero that all parishes should develop local action plans to address racial injustice and dioceses should collect relevant data on race and ethnicity.

Hudson-Wilkin, who was appointed as a bishop in 2019, said: "When it comes to the topic of racial justice, I have heard the word 'woke' being bandied about by many people, including government ministers, certain radio presenters and those in the media. And in every case they've used it incorrectly.

"The term woke originated in the USA and it was a black terminology, speaking specifically and directly to black people regarding the need to wake up and stay alert, to be consciously aware. So it is not just a mere word, it is a movement.