Jane Elliott

Kenzie Rzonca

Edel 310 TuTh 9:30

"It won't help much to be prepared to face Jane Elliott. This elderly woman will tear down any shield. Even we, the spectators in BLUE EYED,

can't get rid of this feeling of uneasiness, embarrassment, anxiety and utterly helpless hatred when she starts keeping people down,

humiliating them, deriding them, incapacitating them. No doubt about this: for three quarters of the time in this documentation Jane Elliott is the

meanest, the lowest, the most detestful, the most hypocritical human being hell has ever spit back on earth. But she should be an example for all of

us." - Stuttgarter Zeitung

Interesting Facts Born in Riceville, IA in

1933

Was teaching 3rd grade in the 1960’s, taught at the school for 18 years

Performed the “Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Exercise” for 9 years there with 3rd graders, 8 years with 6th and 7th graders

Now a diversity trainer, received the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education

Impact on Education

During Her Time Performed first experiment April 5, ‘68

the day after MLK was assassinated

“Empathy building”

“Cruel experiment”

Children taunted by others, she was shunned by colleagues and parents

“Nig*** lover”

"Why are we so worried about the fragile egos of white children who experience a couple of hours of made-up racism one day when blacks experience real racism every day of their lives?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no1F-AMTnGg&list=PL17F4D0FA76F8AC84&index=3

1:27-2:10

2:42-3:08

4:37-4:54

6:37-6:52

Psychology of Bigotry: A Class Divided 14 years later

Impact on Education Today Today she instructs diversity

trainings, mainly with adults in the workplace

Has done trainings at the White House and around the world

People are hesitant to repeat her experiment with children

Because of this experiment, people teach more about racism in the schools and take it a lot more seriously in the classroom

My Reaction Admiration. Been

doing this since 1968, 80 years old.

Impressed. She did the first experiment in the 60’s, perhaps when it was the most dangerous.

Disbelief. The reaction others have had to it.

Synthesis Guiding Questions

Education, not schooling

Making “good” citizens (engaged, not duty-bound)

Teacher’s role: “Enhance students’ moral development, developing character”

Reso

urc

es

Bloom, Stephen G. "Lesson of a Lifetime."

Smithsonian.com. N.p., Sept. 2005. Web. 19

Feb. 2013. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-

archaeology/lesson_lifetime.html >.

Horowitz, Carl F. "Jane Elliott and Her Blue-

Eyed Devil Children."

FrontPageMagazine.com. N.p., 8 Jan. 2007.

Web. 19 Feb. 2012. <http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArti

cle.aspx?ARTID=1019>.

"Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes

Exercise." Jane Elliott, 2003. Web. 19 Feb.

2013. <http://www.janeelliott.com/>.

Levy, Mike. "Jane Elliott: The Constant

Challenger." Training Journal (2002): 18.

ProQuest Research Library. Web. 19 Feb.

2013. Mirza, Munira. "Ticking All the Boxes."

BBC News. N.p., 12 Dec. 2005. Web. 19 Feb.

2013. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magaz

ine/4521244.stm>.

"Psycology of Bigotry 3." YouTube. YouTube,

24 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no1F-

AMTnGg>.