1. Green/ Blue Eyes
In class,we watcheda video of an experimentthatJane Elliotconducts frequentlyonthe firstdayof her
class.As the studentscome in,theyare placedintwoseparate roomsbasedoff of theireye color- which
the greeneyed groupistreatednicelyandthe blue eyed groupisridiculedandbashedonce theyare
allowedintothe classroom.Jane doesanamazingjobatgettingherpointacross inthisexperiment.For
instance,afterputtingdownanumberof the students’ fromthe blue eyedgroup one girl triestostand
up forthembut thengetstoo upsetandleavesthe room.Since thisisjustan experimentthe student
can easilywalkawayfromthe problemandconflictathand. However,herpointisthatminoritieslike
AfricanAmericanscannotsimplywalkawayfromtheirproblems.AfricanAmericansare discriminated
againstverballyandphysicallytothisdayby racistsall overthe world. She stressesthe factthatthe girl
that walkedoutof the room had the choice to walkout.People of colordon’thave the choice towalk
out,theyare facedwithbeingseenasa minorityforthe colorof theirskineveryday.Itdidn’thitme
until afterwatchingthe entire experimentthatI,as a white female,have choicesthatAfricanAmericans
don’tnecessarilyhave.Mediahassignificantlyinfluencedthe wayIhearand see thingsbecause they
dictate whatI get to hearabout forthe most part. Recently, Iheara lotof storiesfollowingalongthe
linesof “white copshootsAfricanAmerican “andthenalmostimmediatelyIhearabouthow the African
Americanwasprobablytoblame because “theyhave arecord” or “they lookedsuspicious”.Jane’s
experimentmade me realizethatdiscriminatingagainstsomeonebasedoff of theirskincolorisstupid
and ishonestlynodifferentfromdiscriminatingagainstone’seye color.
