Astral Codex Ten Podcast Book Review: The Origins Of Woke
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May 10, 2024 
Richard Hanania, author of The Origins Of Woke, challenges the idea that wokeness stems from civil rights law, arguing instead that US civil rights law is flawed. The podcast covers the unintended consequences of civil rights legislation, navigating corporate 'wokeness,' workplace harassment laws, a legal battle over racial discrimination at a Tesla plant, and the influence on conservative policy perspectives.
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The Book's True Thesis
- Richard Hanania's book, The Origins of Woke, claims to argue that wokeness stems from civil rights law.
- However, it primarily focuses on arguing against US civil rights law.
Origins of the Civil Rights Act
- The 1964 Civil Rights Act was meant as a direct response to Southern anti-black racism, like the KKK.
- Sex discrimination was added later, partially as a joke and partially to sabotage the bill.
FAA Hiring Practices
- The FAA, under pressure to hire more black air traffic controllers, replaced a skills test with a "biographical questionnaire."
- This questionnaire favored answers they believed black people would give and even leaked correct answers to black communities.