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I watched Matthew Petrusek’s entire 10- part Video Seminar before I cracked the spine of the book. After I completed the viewing over the course of a couple of days, I found it fairly easy to determine which chapter and topic that I would write about. Chapter 8, The God of my Tribe: Progressivism (A.K.A. \u201cWokeism\u201d), is where I decided to focus. In sixty-six pages, this chapter touches on \u201cWhite Fragility”, \u201cBlack Lives Matter\u201d, \u201cAll Lives Matter\u201d, \u201cColorblindness\u201d, \u201cIntersectionality\u201d, and a few other hot button topics. Petrusek is extremely critical of Progressivism throughout the Chapter. He states, \u201cIndeed, progressivism is the Frankenstein of political ideologies. It is comprised of bits and pieces of scavenged parts from other political theories, including obscure academic ones that were once safely contained behind university walls.\u201d[1]<\/a>In the first few pages of the chapter \u00a0he sets the tone, he writes, \u201cI\u2019ll be using the term \u201cprogressivism\u201d as a catch-all to describe the ideology but will also make the case that the contemporary term \u201cwokeism\u2019 or \u201cbeing woke\u201d falls into the same category.\u201d[2]<\/a> After reading that statement, I knew that I had to bring a different perspective to the term \u201cwoke\u201d. I do not have enough space in this blog to address the other \u201chot button\u201d topics.<\/p>\n As a child of the South, growing up in the 70\u2019s in Nashville, Tennessee, there was a heightened awareness on remaining aware of your surroundings, the temperament of the crowd, the people that you were around. My parents, particularly my Father, were both very active in the Civil Rights Movement. My Father was a quarterback at the Historic Fisk University [3]<\/a> before going on to lead the Nashville affiliates of The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) [4]<\/a> and the Urban League [5]<\/a>. \u00a0My Mother was a Registered Nurse at the historic Meharry Medical College [6]<\/a> and later became one of the first African American Nurse Practitioners to Graduate from Vanderbilt Medical School [7]<\/a>. They were trailblazers in many ways and raised us with an awareness of how to safely navigate a dangerous, racially charged environment. Before leaving the house, we would hear a list of things to remember and one of them was, \u201cremain awake and alert!\u201d This is a derivative of the phrase \u201cStay Woke\u201d.[8]<\/a> To give you a little more context, Nashville, Tennessee is located a short distance from Polaski, Tennessee- the birthplace of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). Racism was real and the threat of race-based violence was a looming reality. I went to school with kids who had aspirations of becoming Grand Wizards of the KKK, as their fathers or grandfathers were. For many it was the family business. \u00a0I share this for the purpose of helping you understand the evolution of the term \u201cstay woke\u201d as I have experienced it. Its origin has a history that has since morphed into something completely different. \u00a0It was meant to remind us to be safe out in the world and remain alert and aware of the injustices in the world. Remain alert to clear and present dangers. The word has been weaponized, actually bastardized for political traction. It has become such a polarizing term that very few of my African-American friends\/colleagues use it anymore.<\/p>\n I acknowledge that Petrusek is analyzing and giving his critical insight on Progressivism.\u00a0 I also understand that it is difficult for me as I may have some blind spots and admittedly, he pushed my buttons and not in a good way. I edited and toned down this blog considerably before publishing it as it is important that I do not alienate anyone. And that is precisely why I did not enjoy this book; it built a wall and not a bridge for me. It was challenging to continue reading and listening to him because, in my opinion, he misses the mark. One of the best examples of this is Petursek writing, \u201cThe shadow side of \u201cDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion, \u201cin other words is \u201cDestruction, Elimination, and Implosion.\u201d It is a fitting mantra for an ideology that promises peace by intestinally and systemically pitting human beings against each other.\u201d [9]<\/a> I can get this type of analysis and dog whistle language on Fox News for free, I don\u2019t have to read a 463-page book, listen to over two hours of rhetoric, or pay $26 bucks for it. In the words of the esteemed Congresswoman Maxine Waters, \u201cI\u2019m reclaiming my time!\u201d<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Matthew R. Petrusek and Thomas Collins, Evangelization and Ideology: How to Understand and Respond to the Political Culture<\/em> (Park Ridge, IL: Word on Fire Institute, 2023), 303.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Ibid., 302.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> HBCU\u2019s (Historically Black College and University) have a rich history in this country. Fisk University has many famous alumni including W.E.B. Dubois, Ida B. Wells (one of the Founders of NAACP), W.C. Handy, Nikki Giovanni, Nella Larsen, and John Lewis.\u00a0 Fisk University History – Fisk University<\/a><\/p>\n [4]<\/a> I added the link to the NAACP website for easier access. I acknowledge that the mission and historical relevance may not be familiar to everyone. NAACP | Leading the Fight to End Racial Inequality<\/a><\/p>\n [5]<\/a> I want to remove any barrier to gaining access to the website and reading about the organization. Home | National Urban League (nul.org)<\/a><\/p>\n [6]<\/a> Meharry Medical College was founded in 1876 and was the first medical school for African-Americans in the South. In 1886 it began its Dental Program. \u00a0ABOUT US | Meharry Medical College Nashville, TN (mmc.edu)<\/a><\/p>\n [7]<\/a> Vanderbilt University is an elite University that is often referred to as \u201cThe Harvard of the South.\u201d Its doors were not always open to African-Americans. Established in 1873, Vanderbilt did not admit its first African-Amercian student until 1953. It is a significant historical event that my mother was one of the first African Americans to graduate in the Nurse Practitioners Program at Vanderbilt. VUSN History\u00a0|\u00a0About VUSN\u00a0|\u00a0School of Nursing\u00a0|\u00a0Vanderbilt University<\/a><\/p>\n [8]<\/a> I have not read this in its entirety, yet it provides a brief history of the term. What is the history of the word \u2018woke\u2019 and its modern uses? | The Independent<\/a><\/p>\n