- An expanded edition of William Peters's classic study of the unique eye-color lesson in prejudice and discrimination taught by Iowa schoolteacher Jane Elliott. This new edition continues the story of Elliott and her sixteen third-graders of 1970, eleven of whom returned to their hometown in 1984 for a reunion with their former teacher. Peters reports on that meeting and its evidence that the long-ago lesson has had a profound and enduring effect on the students' lives and attitudes.—Anonymous
- Opening scene Jane Elliott a third grade teacher welcomes her third grade class from 1970 to a reunion in 1984. Elliott explains she had been struck by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in 1968. The next day she initiated a classroom exercise in discrimination among her rural Iowa third graders. Narrator explains that in 1970 the third year of her exercise was filmed as The Eye of the Storm. The film is replayed for the reunion class of 1970 third graders, panning from the film to the face of the current adults 14 years later.
The documentary plays. In the film Jane Elliott asks the children if they would like to participate in an exercise on discrimination? Yes. She asks if the children know of any group that suffers from unfounded bias. The children say yes, and give examples based on skin color. Elliott in interview explains that with her first class exercise, the month prior the children had celebrated Martin Luther King Jr and now he was dead. The day following the assassination in school a child asked why the King was killed? Elliott in interview describes her school as part of a rural all white Iowa farming community.
In the exercise film Elliott explains to the third graders that they will discriminate on the basis of eye color, the first day discriminating against brown eyed children, then the second day against blue eyed children. The first day brown eyed children wear collars which indicate that they may not sit next to blue eyed children, have shorter recess, cannot talk with blue eyed children, are not as good or as smart as blue eyed children. The film pans across the face of brown eyed children standing alone in corners, eyes downcast. Their performance in class is reinforced by Elliott's "well what can you expect from brown eyes?" The blue eyed children performance is superior to the brown eyed children the entire day. The timing of blue eye responses to questions is quicker, more accurate. The film continues the next day as Elliott asks the blue eyed children how they feel? Superior, brighter, capable. Then she says she lied, like all blue eyed people, it is really brown eyed children who are superior. She asks the brown eyed children to choose a blue eyed child and put the collar on that blue eyed child. The film follows the children's performance in class this second day with reversed bias. The brown eyed children are enthusiastic, answer questions quickly and accurately, the blue eyed children eyes downcast seem hesitant and uncertain in their answers.
Interviews with the now adults on their memories of their feelings at the time of the original film, reinforce the elation experienced when they were collar-free and felt they were clearly more intelligent and superior, and the opposite experience of shame, anger, inability to think clearly on the day they had to wear the collar. In the documentary, teacher Elliott tells the children the exercise is over, and they may remove the collars. A destructive tearing and chewing at the collars is seen among the third graders as they dispose of the collars in the waste can.
Elliott narrative: I assessed the third graders with standardized tests before the exercise, during the exercise on each day, with and without the collars, and then afterward. The test results were sent to Stanford for evaluation. Elliott reports Stanford is astounded that the tests provide evidence that intellectual capacity can be altered within 24 hours. Afterward the entire third grade class continues to perform at levels superior to that prior to the experiment through the end of the class year. The reunion class is asked by Elliott if children and teachers both should experience this exercise? The now adults agree everyone should experience discrimination for understanding. Individual anecdotes of the 1970 third graders now in 1984 of the exercise on their own lives follow.
The film is shown to prison inmates. Jane Elliott is asked to provide a seminar for employees of the prison system. Staff are simply told they are going to attend a seminar but are not told the topic. The group is divided by eye color. The blue eyes are left to stand outside the meeting room, no chairs are provided. The brown eyes are ushered into the meeting room on time. Elliott explains to the brown eyes the nature of the exercise. They are not to sit next to blue eyes. Blue eyes are not to be allowed to sit next to brown eyes. Finally blue eyes are allowed into the room and are reprimanded by Elliott for not being on time, making noise, acting arrogant, not learning well. Elliott asks brown eyes the problems they have with blue eyes, to give examples. Elliott lectures about listening skills. She asks all to write listening skills down. She asks blue eyed respondents to repeat the listening skills. Then a written test is given to all participants, scores are read out aloud in front of the entire group. Elliott points out blue eyes do not follow directions, are not good listeners or learners. A blue eyed person asks if important blue eyed persons exist. Elliott says there are exceptions to every rule. A blue eyed woman calls Elliott "lady." Elliott answers "lady is pejorative, a put down. Sexism keeps you where you are."
After lunch Elliott has the employees analyze the exercise. Blue eyed male "I realized there were few times I have experienced discrimination in my entire life. I was amazed how powerless I felt within 15 minutes." Elliott asked "why didn't you blue eyed people support each other? why did you just sit there?" Elliott "if you had to do something about racism would you stand up? How did you feel?" one brown eyed participant said "Glad I wasn't blue eyed" "Felt discriminated against." What if you had to spend the rest of your life feeling powerless like this?
Elliott feels educators could use this exercise and learn from it.
Return to reunion picnic. Elliott felt the former third grade class had created instant cousins through the exercise and they still feel that way. The children found out how it feels to be hurt by discrimination. And they refuse to hurt one another in that way ever again. "We are kind of like a family."
PBS.org closes with encouragement to follow up with viewing the film and discussion
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