A Class Divided: The Impact of Jane Elliott's Lesson in Discrimination

Background and Genesis

In 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, sparking grief and frustration in America.
Jane Elliott, a third-grade teacher in Riceville, Iowa, decided to conduct an exercise to teach her students about discrimination and racism.
Elliott had been discussing racism since the start of the school year but felt the need for a more concrete lesson.

Elliott divided her class based on eye color: blue-eyed children considered superior, and brown-eyed children considered inferior.
Initial Reactions: Blue-eyed children received privileges, while brown-eyed children experienced restrictions and discrimination.
- Blue-eyed children had extra recess time and used the playground equipment, while brown-eyed children did not.
- Brown-eyed children wore collars for identification.
- This led to division, teasing, and fighting among students, exemplifying how quickly discrimination affects behavior and feelings.

The following day, roles were reversed, with brown-eyed children now being treated as superior.
Similar behaviors observed, reinforcing the impact of arbitrary discrimination.

Reunion with former students 14 years later showed that the experiment had a lasting effect on their views about discrimination.
Students remembered feeling demoralized, angry, and humiliated during the exercise.
The experience helped them appreciate the effects of discrimination and empathize with minority groups.

Jane Elliott observed that students' academic performance improved after the exercise, particularly those who had been deemed superior for a day.
Stanford University reviewed the data and suggested the exercise positively affected students' perception of their own abilities, although this was considered unusual.

The lesson was widely used beyond the classroom, including in government, business, and labor organizations to address human relations and discrimination.
Notably used in a sociology course at Green Haven Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison.

Workshop for Iowa Department of Corrections employees highlighted the power dynamics and feelings of helplessness and frustration experienced by minority groups.
Exercises helped participants empathize with the daily struggles of minority populations, showing the internal and external impacts of discrimination.

Elliott emphasizes that the necessity of such exercises is unfortunate and debilitating but crucial for understanding and combating discrimination.
Advocates for educating teachers and administrators about the impacts and methods to properly conduct such lessons to avoid potential harm and maximize understanding.

Elliott’s exercise spread from a single third-grade classroom to broader social and educational contexts, reinforcing the importance of experiential learning in addressing systemic issues of racism and discrimination.
The long-term effects on students demonstrate the potential for lasting positive change when discriminatory behaviors are critically examined and challenged.