Jane Elliott: A Conversation about Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes, Prejudice, and a Lifetime in Education
Thursday, 30 Jan 2025 at 6:00 pm – Sun Room, Memorial Union
Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative LectureThe Advancing One Community Awards will be awarded before the keynote address.Jane Elliott is an American educator, diversity trainer, and activist renowned for her pioneering work in anti-racism education. Born on May 27, 1933, in Riceville, Iowa, Elliott gained prominence for her "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise, which she first conducted in 1968 with her third-grade students. The exercise, designed to teach students about the impact of discrimination and racism, involved dividing the class based on eye color and subjecting one group to discriminatory treatment while treating the other group with privilege. Elliott's innovative approach has been widely recognized and replicated, influencing discussions on race, bias, and systemic inequality. Over the decades of her work, she has continued to advocate for racial justice and inclusion, leading workshops and seminars around the world.This event is part of a Women’s and Gender Studies Lecture Series funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities Grant, which was awarded to Dr. Winfrey and the WGS program in the fall of 2023.This lecture will be recorded and available to view for two weeks to those with an iastate.edu email address on the Available Recordings page, approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative LectureThe Advancing One Community Awards will be awarded before the keynote address.Jane Elliott is an American educator, diversity trainer, and activist renowned for her pioneering work in anti-racism education. Born on May 27, 1933, in Riceville, Iowa, Elliott gained prominence for her "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise, which she first conducted in 1968 with her third-grade students. The exercise, designed to teach students about the impact of discrimination and racism, involved dividing the class based on eye color and subjecting one group to discriminatory treatment while treating the other group with privilege. Elliott's innovative approach has been widely recognized and replicated, influencing discussions on race, bias, and systemic inequality. Over the decades of her work, she has continued to advocate for racial justice and inclusion, leading workshops and seminars around the world.This event is part of a Women’s and Gender Studies Lecture Series funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities Grant, which was awarded to Dr. Winfrey and the WGS program in the fall of 2023.This lecture will be recorded and available to view for two weeks to those with an iastate.edu email address on the Available Recordings page, approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.
Stay for the entire event, including the brief question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentation. Most events run 75 minutes.
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Lecture Etiquette
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