> The quoted example is from the article, and it gives the meaning as 'to stay awake', i.e. verb.

Yes, but it uses it in "stay woke" not "I woke this morning".

> I just disagree that the 'older than you might think' argument that follows is correct, or that if so it has any value (since even the article seems to acknowledge its a different usage to the modern slang).

I agree, it's not the modern usage as it doesn't have the same meaning, but I think the article means that its usage as an adjective is old, not that the usage with its current meaning is old. Which I guess makes it very debatable if "the word" has been around for that long.