Jane Elliot Virtual Visit Recap

By Alexandra Hill Last updated Nov 7, 2020

Jane Elliot visits SLU virtually. Image Credit: St. Lawrence University Communications.

“If this election has taught us anything, it’s that we’re surrounded by racists. So any opportunity to try and educate ourselves out of our biases should be welcomed, as should all the Jane Elliots of the world,” Michael Gagliardi ’21 said.

Jane Elliot, internationally known teacher, lecturer, diversity trainer, and recipient of the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education, virtually visited St. Lawrence on Oct. 29 to discuss prejudice, bigotry, and the irrationalness of the class system. This discussion was organized by Thelmo’s Diversity & Inclusion subcommittee, in partnership with a wide variety of student organizations and departments, such as Outing Club, ACE, Advocates, SLU Democrats, Green House, MIC, L.I.G.H.T House, ASU, La Sociedad, and the Office for Diversity & Inclusion.

If the name Jane Elliot sounds familiar, it is likely due to her infamous “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise,” which she conducted in her elementary school class the day after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The exercise labels participants as inferior or superior based solely upon the color of their eyes and exposes them to the experience of being a minority.

While Jane Elliot was overall well received by students, there were some mixed reactions to Jane Elliot’s discussion. Some students criticized the fact that this important addressing of diversity was lead by a white cis woman.

Delaney Smith ’22 said, “I’m not overly enthusiastic about white activists who take the centerstage over BIPOC voices, but I appreciate that St. Lawrence fostered a discussion about racial violence in America. However, I liked a lot of the discussion that came after the initial presentation, and I’m glad that students were exposed to these topics outside of class discussions.”If you missed Jane Elliot’s conversation with St. Lawrence students, you still have the opportunity to learn more about her work. A documentary film, “A Class Divided” was produced specifically about the “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise,” which you can watch at this link (or by searching the film title on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mcCLm_LwpE.