Welcome to the #BlackBlogsMatter challenge! For the next 28 days, my posts will not (necessarily) be about HR, Leadership or Management topics.

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Stay Woke.

It’s a common phrase used to point out discriminatory behavior by people and institutions and to encourage people to be mindful and aware of the lowkey discriminatory behavior.

Nowadays, racism has become more often subtle than blatant. It isn’t blasted through bullhorns. It flutters softly though Dog-Whistles that only the Woke can hear.

And when you hear it, you cannot help but respond. In anger. In disappointment. In hurt. In fear. In sadness. In action.

And once you’re Woke, you hear the Whistle all the time. You hear it blowing at Black people. At Women. At all People of Color. At religious beliefs. At civil rights and liberties. You hear it blowing when you’re working. When you’re working out. When you’re watching television, reading the news and absorbing social media. You hear it in classrooms, boardrooms and courtrooms. You hear it. All. The. Time.

That’s what makes telling people to “Stay Woke” so strange and comical. Because once you’re Woke, you can’t help but stay that way. The world we live in is so full of deeply rooted, lowkey discrimination that there is rarely a day when the Whistle doesn’t blow and poke your Woke.

Get Woke? Yes.

Stay Woke? No reminder needed.

So now that you’re all Woke and bothered, what do you do?

• Research. If there is a particular issue you feel especially passionate about, find out more about it. Know the history and the work that’s in progress on your issue. Look for organizations you can join in the work to eradicate the problem.
• Intersect. You will hear the Whistle in lots of things — but you cannot fix it all. Every fight cannot be your fight. When you find yourself at the Intersection of another groups’ struggle and you don’t know what to do, it is probably best to ask before acting. Seek ways to support in a less active manner — like sharing on social media, making a donation to the cause or volunteering.
• Balance. Being too Woke can lead to sleep deprivation. We weren’t designed to be riled up all the time. Take breaks from the news and social media here and there to avoid the stimuli. The Struggle will still be there when you come back. I promise.

This is how you move from Stay Woke to Slay Woke.  Because whatever you do, you should always come to Slay.

Tune in tomorrow for Day 4 – Being First and Only