As part of our Black History Month celebration, we reflect on the groundbreaking work of Jane Elliott and her “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise, a daring lesson in discrimination inspired by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Conducted in an all-white third-grade classroom in 1968, Elliott divided students by eye color, assigning privilege to one group while marginalizing the other. This transformative experiment revealed the stark realities of prejudice and power, even to young children.
Documented in The Eye of the Storm and revisited in A Class Divided, the exercise left a lasting impact on participants, demonstrating how easily bias is learned and the profound effects of inequality. Elliott’s work remains a powerful tool for understanding systemic discrimination and promoting empathy. During Black History Month, her lesson reminds us of Dr. King’s vision of equality and challenges us to confront bias in all its forms.
Film will feature a post-screening discussion led by International Quilt Artivist Allyson Allen.
Checkout our calendar at www.LBCulturalArtsCenter.org LBCAC has installed a Patriot Air Purification System. www.patriotairsystems.com Grant funding was made possible by the lodging establishments and the City of Laguna Beach.
