This experiment took place over 50 years ago.
Notice how when the children are told they are more intelligent because they have blue eyes, they are quick to start treating the brown eyed children as if there is a difference between them. They become nasty and condescending and the two 'groups' stop playing with one another.
The really interesting part is that when she tells the children she was lying and in fact, the blue-eyed children are more intelligent they start acting like they are superior too! They agree when she tells them that any mistakes brown-eyed people make are expected, because brown-eyed people are known for making mistakes. Sound familiar?!
Jane Elliott has done some wonderful work around race. Another snippet we love:
Jane asked a young woman, "Has anyone ever said to you, ‘I don’t see you as black?'”
The woman nodded.
“What did you say?” Elliott asked and when the woman hesitated, she continued: “You were polite, weren’t you? You smiled and didn’t say anything.
“What you should say is, 'You got an eye problem, fool?'" Everyone laughed.
Because of course, people see colour. They pick the colour of their car, and of their couch.
“You know why they say that? Because your skin colour makes them uncomfortable," Elliott said. "If white folks are uncomfortable because of your skin colour, that is because they are ignorant.”
Don’t let people get away with saying things like that, Elliott said. “If we don’t start confronting racist remarks, they will continue to be acceptable,” she said.
Have you ever wondered why the stereotype 'black people are angry' exists?
This video might help:
