Jane Elliott, who in 1968 developed a classroom experiment for her all-white class of third graders to teach them about discrimination and racism by separating those with blue eyes from those with brown eyes, will speak at Cal State San Bernardino on Tuesday, May 2.
Her talk, presented by the university’s Institute for Child Development and Family Relations, will take place in the Santos Manuel Student Union Events Center, beginning at 2 p.m.
The program is free, but seating is limited; please RSVP to kmcdonal@csusb.edu.
“Ms. Elliott’s message of racial equality and political activism has led to measurable social change over the past several decades,” said Kelly Campbell, associate director of the ICDFR and associate professor of psychology. “In her talk, she will provide attendees with practical strategies for working toward a more equitable society.”
No stranger to Cal State San Bernardino, Elliott presented a diversity lecture on campus in 1998 as part of Conversations on Diversity lecture series, and as a guest speaker for a psychology social sciences class in 2014 and 2015, and returning in 2016 for a campus-wide presentation.
Elliott was a teacher when she developed what has become known as the “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise after the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968.
Now recognized most prominently as an anti-racism activist and educator, she has been the focus of two television documentaries, “Eye of the Storm” in 1971 and “A Class Divided” in 1985, and has received many awards, including the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education.
Elliott has continued to do the blue-eyed/brown-eyed exercise, which is considered as the basis for diversity training. She has done training for corporations including General Electric, Exxon, AT& T and IBM. Elliott has also given lectures on diversity to the FBI, IRS, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Postal Service.
Elliott’s presentation is co-sponsored by the Psychology Club, Sociology Club and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Visit Jane Elliot’s website to learn more about her work.
Also visit the CSUSB Institute for Child Development and Family Relations website for more information on its programs.
For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.