Call Out Culture: Are You Part Of The Problem?

At the recent Obama Foundation Summit, former President Obama spoke on “call out” culture aka being “woke”. Now we all know we’ve heard and even witnessed this among our peers whether that be face-to-face or through social media. An example of it may be someone bashing another person for going about a situation a certain way.

We’ve really seen this when it comes to politics. This idea of being so politically woke has caused many of us to feel that we are so pure and entitled that we can judge others when their opinion differs from our own. This isn’t activism and it’s something that is holding us back as a nation.

As Obama pointed out, “This idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re always politically woke and all that stuff–you should get over that quickly” (click here to watch a portion of the video). He’s not wrong. Personally I think we’ve forgotten that the world is not going to be fair. There is always going to be injustice and change comes with sacrifice. Therefore if we want to grow and become more united we must learn to understand both sides of a story before we go casting stones.

Tekia Howard, a senior at Brooks College Prep, agrees that the “call out” culture can be problematic. “Everyone wants to be so ‘woke’ to all these political issues but can barely address their own issues. This idea of calling out people is not only rude but can cause controversy and will lead to things like strikes, arguments, and even smaller disagreements all over a difference of opinions that wasn’t handled or addressed correctly.”

Remember that it is okay to have an opinion, but don’t get so caught up in it that you can’t see issues from a different perspective. Are you a contributor to call out culture?

By Monique Petty-Ashmeade, Senior, Brooks College Prep

Twitter: @writerinthedakr