What is the "Blue Eyed Brown Eyed Exercise" developed by Jane Elliott?

The "Blue Eyed Brown Eyed Exercise" is a method developed by Jane Elliott to help students understand prejudice by dividing them into groups based on eye color and assigning them different privileges and discriminatory treatment.

What is the main message of the documentary "Jane Elliott Against the World"?

The documentary "Jane Elliott Against the World" showcases Jane Elliott's lifelong activism and her confrontational approach to awakening people to absorbed racist beliefs and societal norms.

How does Jane Elliott respond to accusations of inducing guilt in white people?

Jane Elliott emphasizes that her work is about "responsibility" rather than guilt, arguing that teaching the true history of the country is a necessary undertaking, even if it makes some uncomfortable.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Jane Elliott: 90 and Still Fighting Racism

Jane Elliott: 90 and Still Fighting Racism

29 Jan

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Summary

Jane Elliott uses eye color exercises to expose racism.
Her methods aim to awaken white people to absorbed beliefs.
The film highlights her ongoing activism against historical scrubbing.

Jane Elliott: 90 and Still Fighting Racism

Filmmaker Judd Ehrlich's documentary, "Jane Elliott Against the World," captures the enduring spirit of educator Jane Elliott, now 90. Elliott, known for her "Blue Eyed Brown Eyed Exercise," developed this method as a third-grade teacher in Riceville, Iowa, to help white students grasp the experience of prejudice and discrimination.

Her exercise divides students by eye color, conferring privileges on one group while subjecting the other to unequal treatment. This experiential learning aims to reveal the nature of power and privilege, confronting participants with their own absorbed racist beliefs.