Too Woke Or Not Enough
A single missing word kicked off a whole reckoning. When a workplace message referred to “Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.” and left out “Doctor,” it sparked a deeper look at why titles matter, how small language choices send big signals, and where awareness slips into performance. We trace the journey from MLK’s earned doctorate, won in an era built to deny Black scholarship, to the present-day habit of casual erasure, and we ask what respect looks like in the everyday.
From there, we widen the lens. We unpack what “woke” once meant, staying alert to power and history, and how the term got weaponized into a punchline. Instead of getting stuck on labels, we focus on practice: balancing intent and impact, researching before reacting, and choosing actions that actually help people feel seen. We talk practical scripts for sticky moments, like using names when pronouns feel hard in real time, and deciding when to call something out versus when to pause, watch for a pattern, and address it with clarity later.
Threaded through is a quieter kind of discipline: 4 a.m. wake-ups, 20-minute movement goals, and a reminder that self-accountability builds the muscles we need for social accountability. The goal isn’t to be perfectly “woke.” It’s to stay awake enough to notice when something feels off, ask why, and respond with respect. If you’ve ever wrestled with when to speak up, how to keep your peace without losing your principles, or what to do when awareness gets noisy and messy, this conversation offers tools, context, and a steady voice.
If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves a good think, and leave a review telling us where you draw your own line between awareness and overcorrection.
IG: @tkandgoliath
TikTok: @TKandGoliathPodcast
Emails: tkandgoliath@gmail.com