Racism angers researcher
Civil Education events continue through April
Jane Elliott is angry.
She’s angry about many issues: sexism, war, the selective service and homophobia, but especially racism.
Elliott, a world-renowned teacher, lecturer and diversity trainer, delivered her presentation, “The Anatomy of Prejudice,” April 11 as part of Civil Education Month.
Currently, Elliott travels the world to share her message and train people in diversity.
After Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, Elliott began thinking about racial inequalities in her community and in the nation.
Elliott decided to conduct a controversial experiment with her third-graders in the rural town of Riceville, Iowa.
She told the blue-eyed students they were better than brown-eyed students. The blue-eyed students were then given special privileges: permission to get seconds at lunch, extra recess time and front-row seats in the classroom.
In 1970, ABC made a documentary about her experiment, titled “The Eye of the Storm.” Elliott showed the video during her presentation to illustrate the effects the experiment had on the children.
Riceville was a racist town; therefore, her experiment did not bode well with members of the community, Elliot said. Her family and children were ostracized and beaten at school, and people stopped patronizing their local business, she said. Even members of her extended family wouldn’t talk to her.
Despite the negative consequences and many angry parents, Elliott tried this experiment in every class she taught until 1985. The experiment received mixed reviews, but she learned a lot about the damaging effects of racism.
The children deemed inferior in the experiment didn’t perform well in school, even though they’d excelled the previous day. The “inferior” group started fights and were unhappy. The “superior” group started using derogatory terms and bullied the “inferior” group.
Elliott said she was raised as a racist, and it will take her a lifetime to get over that.
“ There is no gene for racism, there is no gene for sexism, there’s no gene for ageism, there’s no gene for homophobia, there’s no gene for ethnocentrism. Those are all things that are carefully, carefully taught,” she said.
Other events for Civil Education include the movie “North Country” starring Charlize Theron at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Century Theater. A panel discussion of the film will be held noon Monday in the Memorial Union Peace Garden Room.
Gina Powers, a member of the statewide advocacy organization Equality North Dakota, will speak about equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Prairie Rose Room.
Author and social activist Paul Loeb is scheduled to present a brown bag seminar, titled “Soul of a Citizen” at noon Wednesday in the Memorial Union University Chamber.