Episode Description

In this episode of Masters of Influence, we sit down with Jane Elliott, the pioneering educator behind the famous "blue eyes, brown eyes" exercise that has been challenging prejudice since 1968. At 91 years old, Elliott shares her unfiltered perspective on education, power dynamics, and the current political landscape in America. Drawing from her nearly century-long life experience, Elliott offers both stark warnings and hopeful solutions for a nation at a crossroads.Note that the audio was a challenge with this one... I did the best with what we had...

Episode Highlights

Jane Elliott's groundbreaking work in prejudice reduction that began the day after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968

How prejudice functions as both a natural cognitive process and a dangerous tool for manipulation and control

The role of money and business interests in education and political power

Why Elliott believes today's educational system is merely "schooling" rather than truly educating children

Her passionate call for reorganizing our priorities as a nation and reclaiming power at the local level

Elliott's reflections on historical parallels between current events and the rise of authoritarian regimes she witnessed in her youth

The importance of reading physical books rather than digital texts for deep learning

Her powerful advocacy for organizing at the grassroots level as the path to meaningful change

Jane's four rules for effective listening that transformed her classroom teaching

Key Quotes

"Pre-judging is actually a fundamental function of being alive. There's too much information in the world, and our brains have to find ways to simplify and group things."

"As long as you have a group of people that you can hold down because of your self-imposed ignorance, that's how long you'll hold them down because you don't realize that it's holding you down as well."

"Words are the most powerful weapon devised by humankind. We use them to destroy people on a daily basis."

"The upper crust is a bunch of crumbs held together by a lot of dough."

"Organize. Don't just empathize, organize."

"You have to remember this: one person can make a difference."

About Jane Elliott

Jane Elliott is an educator, anti-racism activist, and creator of the famous "blue eyes, brown eyes" exercise. Born in 1933, she began her groundbreaking work on prejudice in 1968 following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., dividing her third-grade classroom by eye color to give students a profound firsthand experience of discrimination. Her exercise has since been adapted for adults and used worldwide, and her work has been featured on Oprah and in numerous documentaries.