The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 prompted educator
Jane Elliott to create the Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes exercise. Elliott first
conducted the anti-racism experiment on her all-white third-grade
classroom by splitting her students into two groups based on eye color.
What happened next proved that prejudice is a learned behavior, which
means that it can be unlearned.
Several documentaries and many articles have been written about the
Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes experiment. The PBS documentary A Class
Divided reunites Elliot with the children from the experiment 30 years
later to get their impressions and recollections.
Choose either the Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes experiment or another
classical experiment in psychology related to diversity with children.
Using what you have learned, use the following to guide your discussion
responses:
● Describe the experiment and its message.
● Explain the ethical issues that might be present in conducting this
type of experiment with children and how it is different from adult
participants.
● Explain what the experiment communicates about cultural
sensitivity, lifestyle differences, and diversity.
●
This documentary shows you what discrimination feels like and how we
can develop empathy toward everyone we come across. As you watch
this film, can you relate to anything be said? Have you ever been
discriminated against? How would you offer empathy in a situation like
this? Further, consider how this film might impact our world today, which
has become divided over so many events, such as COVID and the
presidential election.
