Jane Eliot conducted an experiment to simulate racism. She separated participants into blue-eyed and brown-eyed groups, telling the blue-eyed group they were superior. Eliot made some participants feel stupid and upset, crossing ethical lines. However, the experiment effectively showed participants what it feels like to be treated as inferior. While the goals were good, the methods used unfairly singled out and humiliated some individuals. Racism persists in the US due to stereotyping of groups and children adopting their families' views without questioning them.

1. Megan McGehee
6/16/14
Mr. Blanco
First Year Seminar
Angry Eyes Experiment
The impact of Dr. King is still being felt today. We are still doing today what we
did in the 1950s and the 1960s. Jane Eliot experimented to show white people what it feels
like to be inferior. She used blue – eyed people with blonde, and brown hair. Eliot also used
brown- eyed black people in her experiment. When the blue- eyed people came into the room
they had to sit in the blue- eyed section. Then she made the blue –eyed people read posters
about brown – eyed people were superior to blue- eyed people. She had gotten in a young white
woman’s face and made her feel stupid for not bringing in her notebook and pencil with her. I
have looked at things differently from watching this experiment. However, I do feel that she did
cross the ethical line. Eliot should not have made that young woman cry and feel stupid.
I do feel that Jane Eliot did make a strong point. I feel like she could have done it in a
different way to get the same result. It made you think twice, and to try putting yourself in
someone else’s shoes. Later on in the experiment a different young white female had gotten
upset by some things Jane Eliot had said to her. The young woman walks out the room crying
from things that Eliot said. When she returned to the room Eliot made her apologize to everyone,
especially the black people. The young woman started to apologize by looking at the black
people and saying “I’m sorry that there is racism in America”. Eliot told her that her apology was
“not good enough” and kicked her out of the room.
I feel that one of the reasons why we have racism in the United States is because we
stereotype everyone. Most of the crimes committed in the United States are done by black
people. However, some do not in trouble with the law. We just automatically assume since they
are black that they are involved in violence or deal drugs. The battle that some people go
through is daily. Another reason why we have racism in the United States is because of the
influence of the family’s view on the child. The child will not hesitate to believe in whatever
their family believes in. The child sees it as these are the few people that are there for me the
most, and I trust them no matter what.