Dictionary to update definition of racism after Floyd’s death
The Merriam-Webster American Dictionary will change its definition of the word racism after receiving an email from a young black woman.
Kennedy Mitchum, recently a graduate of Drake University in Iowa, suggested that the definition should include a reference to systemic oppression.
A dictionary author responded, agreeing to update its definition later. The move comes amid international protests against racism after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd died after a white policeman put his knee on his neck for almost nine minutes.
Ms. Mitchum had met people who used the dictionary to prove that they were not racist because of their feelings towards people of color. She felt that the definition should reflect the broader issues of racial inequality in society.
Merriam-Webster’s current definition of racism
1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2a: a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles
b: a political or social system founded on racism
3: racial prejudice or discrimination
Mitchum explained that she realized the gaps in the current definition about four years ago. “I was talking on social media about racism and what I was going through in my own school and my own college. There were a lot of racist incidents but it was not as blatant,” she said.