Her name is Jane Elliott. She was a former schoolteacher, now she’s anti-racism activist, feminist and LGBT activist. She’s tiny, mean, and boss as fuck.
She’s known for her “blue eyes-brown eyes experiment” where she divides a group of volunteers from the blues and the browns. The minute the people walk in, the blue-eyes know they’re not welcomed. She makes them wait in a separate room, gives them shitty chairs, bad food, and shows them less respect. And (obviously) it causes all sorts of discomfort and rage, but that’s precisely her point. It doesn’t help that most blue-eyed volunteers happen to be white as well. Sometimes they get the message, sometimes they don’t and leave, sometimes crying or screaming. And Jane Elliott says that’s exactly what minorities want to do everyday of their lives, but they simply cannot do.
This 1.5 minute clip explains so well what it means to reject assimilation with whiteness.
It doesn’t mean rejecting success or education. It doesn’t mean rejecting individuals based solely on skin color. It means if the status quo is based on a system of racism, homophobia and general disregard for the marginalized, you can’t expect the people harmed by those things to want to uphold that status quo with you.
I mean, a lot of people do get that, which is why words like multiculturism, diversity and now inclusion are so despised. Whatever you call it, it means (well, should mean) changing the status quo.
no child should ever have to go through what Diane and her family suffered. but due to the United States’ harsh, complex, and unforgiving immigration system, Diane is not the only one.
what kind of America do you want to live in? one that builds walls or tears them down?share your stories of immigration, identity and diversity in America with #BeyondTheWall
‘Why is my Curriculum
White?’ is a national movement aiming to challenge the persistence of
Euro-centric hegemonic narratives across curricula. This movement aims
to encourage a broader diversity of course content and perspectives, to
help provide a richer and more global education.
“Watch Vir Das’s take on modern day sexist advertising in this hilarious new video for HE Deodorant and join them as they take a refreshing stand against such meaningless objectifications with the launch of their new variant, HE RESPECT.”
