Wokeism is not new.
Young people complained of the dictatorial tendencies of academic authorities and often linked them with the tyrannical British in colonial times.
It was Thomas Jefferson who tried to provide students at his new University of Virginia with more intellectual autonomy, allowing them to choose classes. But the students had other liberties in mind and rioted for more freedom from college supervision.
I remember the rights battles and the acceleration of the war in Vietnam.
Students rejected the idea that campuses should be separate from society and embraced the principal that their political action mattered. The whole anti-war movement engaged in civil disobedience to stop the evils produced by "the system."
The older generation were very conservative and anyone rocking the boat was looked upon with suspicion and yes, hate, for their opposing world views.
Nothing has changed today.
We see the same dynamic as students demand that colleges address systemic racism within the institutions themselves, including examining their histories.
When conservatives and liberals both denounce cancel culture, I hear the echoes of the 1960s.
Today young people are being accused of being censorious, illiberal and careerist - as well as woke.
The Founding Fathers complained about drinking in the dorms; in the 1960s musical "Bye Bye Birdie," parents sang, "What's the matter with kids today?"
It's fair to say that students will always question obstacles and opportunities in college. It's only natural for young people to experiment with expectations and limits surrounding them as they try to think for themselves in a chaotic society.
As it stands, when I graduated from high school the last thing I wanted to do was go to college. Luckily for me, I changed my mind years later.
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