Essence Celebrates the Women Who Are “Woke”

For African American women compelled to speak their peace during movements like Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and #TimesUp, Essence Magazine is taking note of those who are “woke” and waking up others sometimes with a gentle nudge or a vigorous shake.

“Every year the staff gets together; we have a brainstorm about what stories we like to [cover],” said Assistant Editor Tanya Christian. The magazine’s “Woke100” list grew from one of those brainstorming sessions and is in its second year.

The women on the list range from Hollywood to New York to the Deep South. Black women in Alabama are widely credited with turning the tide in the U.S. Senate race that grabbed national headlines when Republican candidate Roy Moore sought to overcome allegations of inappropriate conduct with numerous women. As Moore and his supporters seemed positioned to win despite the mounting evidence, Black women flooded the voters’ booth, catapulting Democratic candidate Doug Jones into the winners’ column.

Christian said, “Most of them did not have any political experience. We wanted to celebrate all the women in Alabama who voted and made such a huge difference in that election. I believe it was 98 percent Black who voted, and it was what allowed Democrat Doug Jones to win the election.”

With the 2018 midterm elections looming, Democrats are looking for a potent political force among its base.

“You cannot deny the Black woman the power of the vote, especially in the midterms. It is important that we highlight that as much as we can so our readers can understand that it is not a ‘throwaway vote’ when you go in and want to make a difference,” Christian stated.

One of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces is on the cover of the 2018 “Woke100” edition of Essence. Actress Kerry Washington joins the list for her advocacy on behalf of women in the workplace. Washington played attorney Anita Hill in the HBO feature film, “Confirmation.” She has also been vocal about the 2012 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer acquitted by a jury. Washington recently wrapped her starring role in the fan-favorite, “Scandal.” Christian said it was “a natural fit” to select Washington for the cover.

The youngest person on the list is a 10-year-old from Michigan. Mari Copeny also known as “Little Miss Flint” became a leading acitivist in the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands is also included among the “Woke100” for using her influence to galvanize Congress in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Christian applauded Plaskett for taking “the emotional stories of her constituents to Congress and mainstream media [appearing on MSNBC’s AM Joy].”

Months after her termination from ESPN, journalist Jemele Hill continues to use her platform to promote social justice whether it involves matters of race or other subjects where inequity is tolerated.