A Class Divided – Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes

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In the documentary, “A Class Divided” filmed in 1970, a third grade teacher in Iowa named Jane Elliot did something that I felt was so amazing, during a time period that most might consider risky. She divided her class by the color of their eyes and came up with very clever ways to make them feel discriminated against. Watching the short film, about how she taught her class the lesson of discrimination, which was prompted by the death of Martin Luther King, is just fascinating! At first I was writing down everything I could to be able to reference my notes later, to write this paper. Suddenly I just stopped writing and really got into the lesson as though I was in the classroom with them. My notes stopped at the reunion that they had in 1984. In an all white town, I thought, what is Elliot going to do that will really leave a lasting impression with these young minds? Ultimately, they will go home and maybe share the lesson or know better than to. Are they just going to revert back to what they are being taught in their homes? It was disturbing and sickening to watch these third graders express how they felt when they saw an African American person. It is mind boggling that if one teacher in 1968 was teaching this lesson, why are we still in a discriminating mind set today. I was angry. As I watched the method in which Elliot taught the children the lesson of discrimination over a few days period, I was filled with so many different emotions. Seeing the shame, lack of confidence and hurt they were experiencing while being discriminated against changed my reaction from angry to feeling thankful. Thankful that at least there was one teacher in an all white town that dared to even address the issue. When the sad little faces of these young children were captured because they were feeling discriminated against, I couldn’t help but feel sad and excited for

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