© 2026 ABC News

The dictionary's second definition, he added, is \"divided to express, first, explicit institutional bias against people because of their race, and, second, a broader implicit bias that can also result in an asymmetrical power structure.\"

\"This second definition covers the sense that Ms. Mitchum was seeking, and we will make its wording even more clear in our next release,\" Soolowski said. \"Revisions of this kind are an essential part of the work of keeping the dictionary up to date. As with our defining of new terms, such revisions involve a rigorous editorial process that involves the examination of evidence to determine if and what kinds of modifications are warranted to ensure that we're describing the language as it is actually used.\"

Mitchum said she didn't expect to hear back from Merriam-Webster, but is glad its editors are making the change.

\"PHOTO:
Kennedy Mitchum
PHOTO: Kennedy Mitchum, a recent graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, contacted Merriam-Webster to change its dictionary definition of the word racism.
>

\"It's very important that we all have solidarity,\" she said, adding she hopes others will continue to be open-minded.

Mitchum earned two degrees at Drake, one in public relations and the other in law, politics and society

She hopes for a career in journalism before starting her own platform to advocate for change.

Merriam-Webster hasn't revealed a revision date, but the update is in motion.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Living/merriam-webster-redefining-racism-college-graduate-calls-action/story?id=71193936","legacySlug":"/living/story/merriam-webster-redefining-racism-college-graduate-calls-action-71193936","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"16:45","publishDate":"06-11-2020","updatedTime":"18:47","updatedDate":"06-11-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"Kennedy Mitchum, a recent graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, contacted Merriam-Webster with her request amid U.S. protesters calling to end police brutality in wake of George Floyd's death. The company will now change its dictionary definition of the word racism.","credit":"Kennedy Mitchum","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/webster-dictionary-racism-change-ht-MAIN-np-200611_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/11/2020 16:45:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":71193936,"headline":"Why Merriam-Webster is redefining racism","mediaAssetTitle":"MERRIAM WEBSTER RACISM DEFINITION","description":"\"I thought the current definition was misinforming,\" Kennedy Mitchumtold \"GMA.\"","duration":"6:53","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200602_gma_bernice_0834_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["71150046","71018600","71172074"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"June 9, 2020","headline":"Valedictorian's anti-racism message sparks controversy: 'I wanted a wake-up call'","section":"living","slug":"/living/story/valedictorians-anti-racism-message-sparks-controversy-wanted-wake-71150046","id":71150046,"image":{"alt":"Valedictorian's anti-racism message sparks controversy: 'I wanted a wake-up call'","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/valedictorians-anti-racism-message-ht-MAIN-np-200609_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Jada Tulloch","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"June 2, 2020","headline":"Until our son becomes the next ‘scary Black man’","section":"family","slug":"/family/story/son-scary-black-man-71018600","id":71018600,"image":{"alt":"Until our son becomes the next ‘scary Black man’","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/son-scary-black-man-essay-ht-MAIN-np-200602_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Elissa and Kevin Rogers","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"June 10, 2020","headline":"George Floyd's daughter offered full scholarship to Texas Southern University","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/george-floyds-daughter-offered-full-scholarship-texas-southern-71172074","id":71172074,"image":{"alt":"George Floyd's daughter offered full scholarship to Texas Southern University","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/gianna-floyd-rt-rc-200603_hpMain_2_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Why Merriam-Webster is redefining racism","description":"\"I thought the current definition was misinforming,\" Kennedy Mitchumtold \"GMA.\"","duration":"6:53","uploadDate":"06-11-2020","publication":"06-11-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200602_gma_bernice_0834_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200602_gma_bernice_0834_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/merriam-webster-redefining-racism-college-graduate-calls-action-71193936"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133390157","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133415361","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133414032","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133380485","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133358298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133350119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307515","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307527","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133282665","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133220149","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133179167","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144373","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144059","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133143081","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133075455","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063114","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063086","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133015093","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998564","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998072","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:living:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"living","title":"Why Merriam-Webster is redefining racism","pubTime":"12:45","pubDate":"06-11-2020","modTime":"14:47","modDate":"06-11-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":71193936,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Why Merriam-Webster is redefining racism","mediaAssetTitle":"MERRIAM WEBSTER RACISM DEFINITION","videoId":71193936,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/living/story/merriam-webster-redefining-racism-college-graduate-calls-action-71193936"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/71193936","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/71193936","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};