Brown eyes and blue eyes Racism experiment Children Session - Jane Elliott

Mark Heckroth

1 Jun 201814:36

Summary

TLDRThis script explores the theme of discrimination through a powerful classroom exercise. Students are divided by eye color, with blue-eyed children initially favored, then roles reversed to highlight the unfairness and emotional impact of prejudice. The exercise aims to teach empathy and understanding, showing that discrimination based on superficial differences is unjust and hurtful. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of treating all individuals with respect and kindness, regardless of race or appearance.

Takeaways

🌟 The script discusses National Brotherhood Week, emphasizing the importance of treating everyone with kindness and equality, as if they were one's own brother.
👥 It highlights the issue of discrimination, particularly against people of different ethnicities, such as Native Americans, and the negative labels and stereotypes associated with them.
🔍 The narrative includes an exercise where the teacher divides the class by eye color, treating blue-eyed students as superior to brown-eyed students, to demonstrate the effects of discrimination.
👁 The blue-eyed students are given privileges and the brown-eyed students are subjected to unfair treatment, illustrating how quickly discrimination can take hold and affect behavior.
👦👧 The students' reactions to the discrimination show a range of emotions, from confusion and sadness to anger and resistance, reflecting the real-life impact of such treatment.
📚 The teacher uses the exercise to teach a lesson about the unfairness and harm of discrimination, showing that it is not based on any inherent differences but on superficial traits.
📉 The script shows a decline in the performance of the brown-eyed students when they are treated as inferior, suggesting that discrimination can negatively affect self-esteem and capability.
📈 Conversely, when the roles are reversed and brown-eyed students are treated as superior, their performance improves, indicating the power of positive reinforcement and belief.
🤔 The exercise prompts reflection among the students about the arbitrary nature of the discrimination and the absurdity of judging people based on superficial traits.
💔 The script ends with a powerful message about the emotional and psychological toll of discrimination, and the importance of treating everyone with respect and dignity.
🌈 The final takeaway is a call to action for the students to carry the lessons of the exercise beyond the classroom, to challenge discrimination and promote equality in all aspects of life.

Q & A

What is the theme of the week being discussed in the script?
-The theme of the week is National Brotherhood Week, which emphasizes treating everyone with kindness and as if they were your brother.
What is the initial lesson the teacher tries to impart to the students about treating others?
-The teacher initially tries to impart the lesson of treating everyone equally and with kindness, regardless of their race or ethnicity.
What does the teacher do to demonstrate discrimination based on eye color?
-The teacher creates a scenario where blue-eyed students are treated as superior and brown-eyed students are subjected to various forms of discrimination, such as not being allowed to use the drinking fountain or play with the blue-eyed students.
How does the teacher's treatment of the students change from one day to the next?
-The teacher reverses the roles, making brown-eyed students superior and blue-eyed students the subject of discrimination, to show the arbitrary nature of such treatment.
What is the purpose of the collars worn by the brown-eyed students?
-The collars are worn to easily identify the eye color of the students from a distance, serving as a visual marker for the discrimination exercise.
What emotional impact does the discrimination exercise have on the students?
-The exercise has a profound emotional impact, causing feelings of inferiority, sadness, and even leading to conflicts among the students.
What does the teacher reveal about the initial claims about the superiority of blue-eyed people?
-The teacher reveals that the initial claims were a lie, emphasizing that the discrimination was based on a false premise.
How does the teacher conclude the discrimination exercise?
-The teacher concludes by removing the collars and discussing the unfairness and harm of discrimination, emphasizing that one's worth is not determined by the color of their eyes or skin.
What is the teacher's final message to the students about judging people?
-The teacher's final message is that one should not judge people based on the color of their eyes or skin, but rather on their character and actions.
What is the broader lesson the teacher aims to teach through this exercise?
-The broader lesson is to understand and combat discrimination, showing students the negative effects of treating people differently based on superficial characteristics.
How does the teacher use the exercise to address the issue of racial discrimination?
-The teacher uses the eye color discrimination as a metaphor for racial discrimination, helping students to empathize with those who face prejudice and understand the importance of treating everyone equally.

Outlines

00:00

👥 National Brotherhood Week and Discrimination

This paragraph discusses the concept of National Brotherhood Week, emphasizing the importance of treating everyone with kindness and equality, regardless of their background. It highlights the issue of racial discrimination, particularly towards people of color, and the negative impacts of judging others based on their skin color. The narrative includes an experiment where the teacher assigns superiority to blue-eyed individuals, creating a scenario where brown-eyed students are treated as inferior. This leads to a series of discriminatory actions and observations about the behavior of the students, illustrating the psychological effects of such treatment.

05:02

😔 The Consequences of Discrimination

The second paragraph delves into the aftermath of the discrimination experiment, where the roles are reversed, and the brown-eyed students are now considered superior. The teacher's actions lead to a change in the children's behavior, turning them from cooperative to discriminatory. The narrative shows how quickly the children adapt to the new hierarchy, with the previously 'inferior' brown-eyed students now enjoying privileges and the 'superior' blue-eyed students facing discrimination. The teacher's manipulation of the situation reveals the ease with which discrimination can take root and the profound effects it has on the children's self-esteem and interactions.

10:02

📚 Lessons on Discrimination and Equality

In the final paragraph, the teacher reveals the truth about the experiment, explaining that the previous claims of superiority based on eye color were false. The narrative focuses on the lessons learned from the experience, emphasizing the unfairness and harm caused by discrimination. The children are encouraged to reflect on their actions and attitudes, questioning whether one's eye color or skin color should influence how they are treated. The teacher uses this opportunity to teach the students about the importance of treating everyone equally, regardless of superficial differences, and to challenge their preconceived notions about race and worth.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡National Brotherhood Week

National Brotherhood Week is a concept mentioned in the script to promote kindness and equality among people, regardless of their background. It is used as a starting point to discuss the importance of treating everyone as if they were your brother, which is central to the video's theme of unity and non-discrimination.

💡Discrimination

Discrimination is a key theme in the video, illustrating the unfair treatment of individuals based on their race or other characteristics. The script uses the concept of eye color to simulate the experience of discrimination, showing how quickly attitudes can change when people are categorized and treated differently.

💡Treat Everyone Equally

The phrase 'treat everyone equally' is a central message in the video, emphasizing the moral that all individuals should be treated with the same respect and kindness, regardless of their differences. It is exemplified when the script challenges the notion of judging people by the color of their skin or eyes.

💡Color of Skin

The 'color of skin' is used in the script to represent a superficial characteristic that should not dictate how people are treated. It is highlighted as a reason for unfair treatment and is part of the broader discussion on prejudice and the need to judge people by their character, not appearance.

💡Eye Color

In the script, 'eye color' is used as a metaphor for race or other physical traits that are often the basis for discrimination. The video creates a scenario where blue-eyed and brown-eyed individuals are treated differently to demonstrate the arbitrary nature of such discrimination.

💡Prejudice

Prejudice is the preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or experience, and in the video, it is shown through the treatment of individuals with different eye colors. It is a driving force behind the discrimination depicted in the script, leading to the unfair treatment of brown-eyed individuals.

💡Recess

Recess in the script is used as a reward for the 'superior' group, initially the blue-eyed people, to illustrate the tangible benefits that can be associated with discrimination. It shows how certain privileges can be unjustly granted based on superficial characteristics.

💡Collars

Collars are used in the video as a visual marker to distinguish between blue-eyed and brown-eyed individuals. They symbolize the labels and stereotypes that can be imposed on people, leading to discrimination and unequal treatment.

💡Learning

The concept of 'learning' in the script is used to show how quickly children can adapt and excel when they are told they are 'superior.' It highlights the psychological impact of positive reinforcement and the potential for growth when individuals are not held back by prejudice.

💡Discrimination Experiment

The 'discrimination experiment' is a pivotal part of the script where the teacher人为地 assigns superiority based on eye color to demonstrate the effects of discrimination. It serves as a practical lesson on the harmful consequences of prejudice and the importance of treating everyone equally.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and it is a key takeaway from the video. The script encourages viewers to put themselves in the shoes of those who are discriminated against, to feel the hurt and unfairness of such treatment, and to reject discrimination in all its forms.

Highlights

Introduction of National Brotherhood Week and the concept of treating everyone as brothers.

Discussion on how people of different races are treated in the United States, with a focus on the treatment of black, yellow, and red people.

The idea of judging people by the color of their eyes as an experiment to understand discrimination.

Teacher's role-play of favoring blue-eyed students over brown-eyed ones, illustrating the impact of perceived superiority.

Students' reactions to the discrimination, with some feeling demotivated and others questioning the fairness.

The teacher's revelation that the previous day's statement about brown-eyed people being inferior was a lie, emphasizing the theme of discrimination.

Observation of how quickly attitudes and behaviors can change when a group is labeled as superior or inferior.

The impact of discrimination on children's self-esteem and willingness to participate in activities.

Students' realization of the unfairness of discrimination based on eye color and its potential application to skin color.

The teacher's use of the orton-gillingham phonics method to demonstrate how quickly the brown-eyed students adapted when told they were superior.

Reflection on the emotional toll of discrimination and the importance of treating everyone fairly, regardless of appearance.

Discussion on the difference between judging people by their actions versus their physical characteristics.

The teacher's emphasis on the permanence of skin color as opposed to the temporary nature of the eye color discrimination experiment.

Students' commitment to not judge others based on skin color or other superficial traits moving forward.

The symbolic removal of collars representing the end of the discrimination experiment and a return to equality.

Applause and music signaling the conclusion of the lesson and the students' newfound understanding of discrimination.