Notes on Jane Elliott's Experiment on Discrimination

Introduction

• Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 27 years ago, leading to grief and frustration in America.
• A third-grade teacher in Iowa, Jane Elliott, felt compelled to educate her students on racism after this event.

The Experiment

Initial Setup

• Recognized that explaining racism to young children was difficult.
• Decided to conduct an experiment to make the concept of prejudice concrete for her students.

Exercise Description

• Divided the class by eye color: blue-eyed students were considered "better" than brown-eyed students.
• Blue-eyed students received privileges (e.g., extra recess time) while brown-eyed students faced discrimination (e.g., paper cups instead of drinking fountain).
• This was a deliberate effort to create a microcosm of society and observe discrimination in action.

Class Dynamics

• The experiment led to significant behavior changes:
  • Some students who were usually kind turned nasty and discriminatory.
  • The negative impact on brown-eyed children was profound, leading to feelings of inferiority and frustration.
• During the exercise:
  • Brown-eyed children were teased, called names, and treated as lesser individuals.
  • The blue-eyed students began to exhibit superiority complexes.

Reflections from Former Students

High School Reunion

• Years later, at a reunion, former students revisited their experiences in the class.
• They watched a documentary, "The Eye of the Storm," which captured the two-day exercise.

Key Takeaways from the Reunion

• Students reflected on their feelings during the experiment:
  • Many expressed discomfort, recognizing the unfair treatment.
  • Some recalled the emotional impact and confusion over their roles as either privileged or discriminated against.

The Lesson's Broader Context

Historical Background

• The experiment was initially conducted in April 1968, shortly after MLK's assassination.
• Jane Elliott felt the need to act when she witnessed adults' condescending attitudes towards black individuals in media coverage of the aftermath of the assassination.

Ongoing Impact

• Elliott's lesson has been taught to over 300 students since its inception.
• Despite being conducted in a homogenous community, the lesson aimed to challenge ingrained biases and promote empathy.

Conclusion

• Jane Elliott's experiment serves as a powerful example of how to address discrimination and prejudice in educational settings.
• The emotional and psychological impacts of discrimination were starkly revealed through her classroom experiment, illustrating how quickly children can adopt prejudiced behaviors.