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dosomething.org |
Online dictionary Merriam-Webster has been forced to change
its definition of ‘nude’ after a teen complained that it was
racist,
perpetuating the idea that white skin is the
norm of beauty. Connecticut
student Luis Torres set up a DoSomething.org campaign called ‘Nude Awakening’ on
July 14 – National Nudist Day – to pressure Merriam-Webster
into action.
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Merriam-Webster's updated definition |
The dictionary now defines nude as "lacking something
essential especially to legal validity," "devoid of natural or conventional
colouring," and "frequented by naked people." Posting on the
campaign page,
Torres said: "Up until August 2015, Merriam-Webster was the only dictionary
that defined nude as 'having the colour of a white person’s skin.' But you all
changed that!"
850 people flooded Merriam-Webster’s page with comments asking
for them to remove their ‘racist’ definition.
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dosomething.org |
Nude Awakening received
widespread support across the world.
Torres said that the campaign aimed to prove "that Eurocentric standards of
beauty are detrimental to people of colour’s self-esteem and confidence."
In an article for Huff Post, she explained: "research shows
that de-constructing the beauty standard of white skin
reduces colorism and
racism, benefitting the confidence and overall wellbeing of people of colour."
Merriam-Webster said that they reviewed current evidence of
the use of ‘nude’ in the fashion industry and subsequently recast the
definition so that it more clearly reflects the contexts in which it can be
used.
Torres said that she is
very happy with the new definition. "I think the new one is super inclusive with broad language. It’s a small
micro-aggression, the word 'nude' itself."
Aaron Waterhouse
Aaron is a recent English graduate from Durham University who is now working as a content writer intern. An enthusiastic traveller, he hopes to become a journalist and report from around the world. Follow him @AaronAtSMF.
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