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"Statera Voices" is an op-ed series featured on the Statera Blog dedicated to reclaiming dominant cultural narratives as a means towards intersectional gender balance in the arts and beyond. "Statera Voices" is where we tell our stories, expand our histories, and celebrate each other.
Today's offering comes to us from Chris Sanders, an actor, arts educator, activist, and Statera Ambassador! They share with us some thoughts on what it means to be “woke” and inspire us all to stay awake. Enjoy!
Photo by Jordan Fraker.
BY CHRIS SANDERS
I feel as though there is a misconception about “woke” culture. That to be “woke” is to be inclusive, or liberal, or wise, or politically correct, or not a bigot.
To be “woke” is to have awoken from your earthly conditioning. As a child, likely as young as 3 to 5 years old, you had no worries of race, or class, or sex or orientation. You had no fear of murder or theft or sexual assault. You had no insecurities. You had only dreams, and hopes, and even when you felt pain, anger, or fear, you felt love. So much love. Over time your family conditions you to fit their mindset. Then your school conditions you to fit the local mindset. The media and history, that your family and school choose to expose you to, conditions part of your worldly mindset. And thus you become a product of your environment.
You grow to believe that your worth is based on the labels you are given. Your wealth makes you better or worse than others. Your education makes you better or worse than others. Your background/heritage makes your better or worse than others. Your orientation and/or gender makes you better or worse than others.
Then, hopefully, some drastic change happens that causes one to snap out of this mindset. You realize that all people are equal. ALL people are equal. All PEOPLE are equal. All people ARE equal. And all people are SACRED. Thus all people are worthy of Love.
Yes, even that kid from 3rd grade you never forgave for that thing that they did, that one time.
Yes, even that relative/friend/classmate from grade school, who you do not share political/social views with.
Yes, even you. Even though you no longer recognize who you are, how you got here, or what to do now. You, too, are worthy of love.
So! You have awoken to the fact that you have been conditioned to be a certain way... a way that may be very distant from what you imagined you’d be as a small child. So the question becomes: What do you do about it?
Because here is the thing about being “woke”: You are not waking up from a nap. You are waking up from a life-long coma. You are jarred (pushed, shoved, tossed off of a cliff face first) into a new reality. One you do not remember from before the coma and one you certainly do not recall from your coma dreams. Even after “waking up”, you realize that the bedding is old, and the sheets are dirty, and you’re covered in your own filth, and even the clothes you wore to bed don’t fit anymore. Your body suddenly doesn’t fit right. And your voice sounds off to you. So what now? Do you even call for help? Do you get out of bed and change? Or do you sit in the discomfort of your own stink, because it’s too much work to (and perhaps more comfortable NOT to) move?
When you “get woke” that’s just the first step. When you wake up, do you get up to exercise out old thoughts? Or are you still lying in bed with the same tired muscles?
Me? I’ve been waking up for years. And I’m tired of falling back to sleep.
ABOUT CHRIS
Chris Sanders (they/them) teaches Theatre courses at UTD, in Richardson, TX. They are also a spokesperson for Susan G. Koman, and an Independent Consultant with Arbonne International. Their theatre credits include Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol [2016] (Dallas Theater Center), The Learned Ladies, Much Ado About Nothing, Timon of Athens (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), Our Town (George Street Playhouse), Artist Descending the Staircase at Amphibian Stage Productions, Obama-olgy at Jubliee Theatre, Straight White Men (Second Thought Theatre), the World Premiere of The Monarch (Soul Rep and Echo Theatres), and Tony n' Tina's Wedding (Count Basie Theatre). Chris is also thrilled to have taken on the role of being the Head of Music Ministry with Activate Church. Activate is a place of Christian worship, geared towards entrepreneurs, based in Dallas, TX. Chris earned their BA in Theatre from Kean University and her MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University. Chris Sanders is represented by the Mary Collins Agency, in Dallas, TX.