In Elijah Watson’s article, “The Origin Of Woke: William Melvin Kelley Is The 'Woke' Godfather We Never Acknowledged,” he uncovers the true origins of the term "woke," attributing it to Harlem author William Melvin Kelley. The word was initially attributed to Badu for nearly a decade, when she first sang the word on 2008's "Master Teacher": "What if it were no niggas/Only master teachers?/ I stay woke (dreams dreams)." But it wasn't until William's "If You're Woke You Dig It" piece in the New York Times that the term was shown to have been in use in the Black Vernacular since the 1960s. Originally published in 1962, the essay delves into the history of black slang and how it was constantly evolving as a form of resistance against white appropriation.…show more content… William, along with other authors, lived in Harlem with Karen. He championed blackness, but never associated with any group or organization. William lived and died in Harlem, a place that is integral to black America's history and possibly birthed the most important black colloquialism of the 21st century. Despite extensive efforts to trace the origins of the term "woke," Elijah's investigation ultimately leads to a realization that the alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged alleged Elijah uncovers the significance of Harlem as a symbolic epicenter of black culture, where the term "woke" likely originated as a communal colloquialism, reflecting the resilience of black culture. In the 21st century, Harlem and the West have become distorted in their own respective ways. The New York Times reported that for the first time since the 1930s, less than half of Harlem's population was black, with the neighborhood experiencing gentrification since the
