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Vanity Fair declared that a new phase of “woke” activism has arrived, but this new wokeness is described as a more confident, physical response to the Trump administration. The outlet argues that progressive activism is roaring back under a new version of the term, even after many voters rejected it at the 2024 ballot box.
The magazine calls the movement “Woke 2,” describing it as a resurgence of wokeness in response to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Vanity Fair says this new version of activism is less focused on online posts and more focused on real-world action.
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A person in an inflatable frog suit holds a sign during a protest in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 10, against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
“If Woke 1 was the 2010s-era urge to fight racism, sexism, homophobia, and more with social media anger, Woke 2 is something different,” Vanity Fair’s Erin Vanderhoof wrote.
The piece argued that progressives are increasingly taking their activism to the streets, and pointed to renewed protests in places like Minneapolis and Portland. Vanderhoof wrote that the response to immigration enforcement in Minneapolis is being compared to the riots after George Floyd’s death in 2020.
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A protester confronts a Homeland Security officer during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 11. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“From the Portland frog-suit protests to the communities banding together to help their neighbors evade federal immigration agents, Woke 2 looks like responding to a frontal assault from the Trump administration with confidence, compassion, and cheekiness,” Vanderhoof wrote.
The article claimed that woke culture isn’t just coming back but doing so with a darker tone, especially following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis this month. Vanderhoof wrote that even new woke jokes suggest “so-called social justice warriors mean business this time.”
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Protesters rally during the “No Kings” national day of protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Oct. 18, 2025. (Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images)
The piece also highlights commentators and online influencers who are openly embracing the “Woke 2” label rather than distancing themselves from it.
Vanderhoof’s argument echoes similar warnings from conservative commentators who argue that woke culture never truly disappeared.
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New York Post columnist Rikki Schlott made similar claims of woke’s return in an opinion piece, saying, “When corporations axed their DEI departments at breakneck speed and pronouns quietly disappeared from bios, Republicans were quick to declare victory: Woke is dead. But don’t be fooled. Woke is alive and well — and ready to come roaring back.”
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As examples, she highlighted renewed campus debates and the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
