Mitchum was motivated to contact Merriam-Webster by meeting people pointing to the dictionary to prove they weren’t racist because of the way they felt towards people of colour – she felt the definition needed to reflect broader issues of racial inequality in society.
US dictionary Merriam-Webster is to change its definition of ‘racism’ after receiving an email from a young black woman.
Kennedy Mitchum, a recent graduate of Drake University in Iowa, suggested the definition should include a reference to systematic oppression – an editor responded, agreeing to update the dictionary accordingly.
The decision comes amid international anti-racism protests after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a police officer who held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Merriam-Webster’s current definition of racism is “a belief race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race; a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles; a political or social system founded on racism; racial prejudice or discrimination”.
Merriam-Webster editorial manager Peter Sokolowski told AFP the second definition will be updated to reflect the request.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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