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Vanity Fair has declared that a new class of “awakened” activists has arrived, but this new resurgence is being described as a more confident, physical reaction to the Trump administration. The source says progressive activism is coming back strong under the new version of the name, even after many voters rejected it at the 2024 ballot box.
The magazine calls the move “Woke 2,” describing it as a resurgence 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 wearing an inflatable frog suit holds a sign during a protest in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 10, against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
“If Woke 1 was a 2010s-era desire to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and more via social media outrage, Woke 2 is something different,” wrote Vanity Fair’s Erin Vanderhoof.
The piece said progressives are increasingly taking their activists to the streets, and pointed to renewed protests in places like Minneapolis and Portland. Vanderhoof wrote that the response to immigration enforcement in Minneapolis has been compared to the riots after the death of George Floyd in 2020.
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A protester confronts a Homeland Security officer during a protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shooting of an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 11. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“From Portland’s frog suit protests to communities coming together to help their neighbors fend off immigration agents, Woke 2 seems to be responding to direct attacks from the Trump administration with confidence, compassion, and patience,” Vanderhoof wrote.
The article said that the resurrected culture is not only returning but doing so with a darker tone, especially following the shooting of two American citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis this month. Vanderhoof wrote that even the new thrillers suggest that “so-called social justice warriors mean business in this.”
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Protesters gather on the day of the “No Kings” protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Oct. 18, 2025. (Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images)
The piece also highlights commentators and influencers online who are more willing to embrace the “Woke 2” label than distance themselves from it.
Vanderhoof’s argument echoes similar warnings from mainstream commentators who say that revival culture hasn’t really disappeared.
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New York Post columnist Rikki Schlott made similar claims for Wake’s return in an opinion piece, saying, “When companies are slamming their DEI doors at breakneck speed and pronouns are quietly disappearing from bios, Republicans are quick to declare victory: Wake is dead. But don’t be fooled. Wake is alive and well — and ready to come back.”
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As examples, he highlighted the renewed campus debates and the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
