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Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes:On Race and Jane Elliotts Famous Experiment on Prejudice
It all began the day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, when Jane Elliott asked her all-White third-grade students How do you think it would feel to be a Negro boy or girl? It would be hard to know, wouldnt it, unless we actually experienced discrimination ourselves. Would you like to find out?
A spontaneous cheer arose from the children. YAAAAAAAAY! And so began one of the most astonishing exercises ever conducted in an American classroom. That spring morning 50 years ago, the blue-eyed children were set apart from the children with brown or green eyes. It might be interesting to judge people by the color of their eyes, Elliott teased. Would you like to try? Elliott then pulled out green construction paper armbands and asked each of the blue-eyed kids to wear one. The browneyed people are the better people in this room, Elliott began. They are cleaner and they are smarter.
They are not, one blue-eyed boy said under his breath from the group in the back. Oh, yes, they are! Elliott said, her eyes open wide. She wagged her index finger at the blue-eyed boy with the audacity to question her. Brown-eyed people are more intelligent than blue-eyed people. Its about time you knew the truth. Youre old enough to know this.
Elliott issued more directives. All you brown-eyed children, push your desks to the front of the room. The children looked puzzled. You heard me. Push them to the front. Youre the smarter kids. Thats where you belong! The comment didnt seem to register with the children, so Elliott repeated it. Go ahead, she told the brown-eyed group. You ought to be sitting up front. Blue-eyed children, push your desks to the back. As far away as you can!
She knew that the children werent going to buy her pitch unless she came up with a reason, and the more scientific to these Space Age children of the 1960s, the better. Eye color, hair color and skin color are caused by a chemical, Elliott went on, writing MELANIN on the blackboard. Melanin, she said, is what causes intelligence. The more melanin, the darker the persons eyesand the smarter the person. Brown-eyed people have more of that chemical in their eyes, so brown-eyed people are better than those with blue eyes, Elliott said. Blue-eyed people sit around and do nothing. You give them something nice and they just wreck it. She could feel a chasm forming between the two groups of students.
More:https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/blue-eyes-brown-eyes-jane-elliott-prejudice-experiment/
Good and eye-opening read.
Delphinus
(11,823 posts)a great read.
I saw her in a short clip - she was on stage and said to the audience: who in here would trade places with a black person. Nobody. That said it all.
sheshe2
(83,623 posts)She asked them to raise their hands...then asked them to stand up in response to her question.
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
Faux pas
(14,643 posts)For later
2naSalit
(86,307 posts)About this several times in school. But I remember when she did this too. I have never forgotten her name.
Cheezoholic
(2,002 posts)Shes still got it......
sheshe2
(83,623 posts)Going to watch. She is a pretty amazing woman.
niyad
(113,010 posts)school teacher's experiment showing his students how easily people can be persuaded into destructive beliefs. It should probably be shown again, but the magats would have screaming fits.
sheshe2
(83,623 posts)I never saw the film. ty
niyad
(113,010 posts)students fell in line. Having watched the magats, gqp, etc., I am no longer the least bit surprised.
sheshe2
(83,623 posts)I found a UTube vid, but the quality is so poor it would be hard to see.
Tommy Carcetti
(43,137 posts)jcgoldie
(11,610 posts)When I got to teach HS psychology. Now I just have math.
sheshe2
(83,623 posts)ratchiweenie
(7,753 posts)cautionary tale.
Tommy Carcetti
(43,137 posts)He was a super friendly, avuncular type of teacher, always happy and never rude. All the kids loved him.
So when he suddenly snapped at those of us with blue eyes (myself included) it really threw me for a loop, because it was so out of character.
He then promptly explained the exercise to us.
Some lessons stick with you, and this was definitely one of them.
OneGrassRoot
(22,920 posts)anywhere I had an online presence. It's very powerful. I think it should be shown and/or implemented in middle school, high school, college, and during employment. It's that powerful.
I spoke with Ms. Elliott a few years ago, as I was wondering if she knew of any more "covert" programs or books to help children growing up in racist households 'cause there are MILLIONS as most people here now realize, since Obama and especially since 2016. (Certainly people of color have always known but many white people were oblivious and always called me alarmist and said I exaggerated; I knew I wasn't because I grew up in a KKK environment and know such beliefs, and how widespread they are, intimately. I've also lived in all regions of the US and have always known it's EVERYWHERE and always has been.)
These lessons are great when the parents are supportive but when the parents are MAGA, overt racists (versus the other ways racism manifests on a spectrum, all of which are damaging, of course), they're useless and the parents won't allow such teachings.
She said, sadly, there isn't but needs to be.
I'm making that my final mission of my life to create this using a seemingly innocent, unassuming children's creation I developed in the late 90's. Friggin Disney is now using the name, though not the concept, but I have an alternate plan...lol. The intention is for it to seem innocent enough to slide under the racist radar and not only impart compassionate wisdom to the children but support them in knowing grown-ups aren't infallible. If it's hateful and hurts others, it's not okay.
Wish me luck, y'all.