“Wokeism” began as a call in African American communities to “stay woke” against racial injustice, later expanding to include gender, class, environment, and identity struggles. Today, it sits at the center of a global culture war—embraced by some as a moral compass for equality, and criticized by others as rigid ideology and cancel culture. In the U.S., it influences politics, media, and corporations, sparking both reform and backlash. Globally, its meanings vary, but the debate it fuels—justice versus tradition, equality versus freedom—remains one of the defining conversations of our time.