>>
>> IT'S
>> IT'S PRETTY BREATHTAKING TO SEE THAT, BACK TO BACK TO BACK.
HOW DO WE AS PARENTS TALK TO
OUR CHILDREN ABOUT THESE ISSUES
AND HOPEFULLY HELP THEM
NAVIGATE THE ISSUES BETTER THAN
SOME OF THE ADULTS?
FOLKS AT ONE DC PUBLIC SCHOOL
RECOGNIZE TH4@E DYNAMICS OF THE
SCHOOL WERE CHANGING.
THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS
MAJORITY BLACK SCHOOL BUT IN
THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, MORE
WHITE FAMILIES HAVE ENROLLED4@,
TEACHE4@RS AND PARENTS KNEW THE
NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE CHANGE.
ON TUESDAY, WORLD-RENOWNED
ANTIRACISM EDUCATOR AND
ACTIVIST JANE ELLIOTT HAD A
DIVERSITY WORKSHOP AND THAT
EVENING SHE HELD A MASTER CLASS
WITH ABOUT 250 ADULTS IN THE
4@
WITH ABOUT 250 ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING MANY
PARENTS AND TEACHERS.
>>4@ WHEN BLACK PEOPLE WHO KNOW
WHOLE LOT ARE WILLING TO TAKE
AN EVENING 4@AND LISTEN TO THAT
OLD WHITE WOMAN.
TURN TO THE PERSON ON YOUR RIGHT
AND STICK IT YOURSELF4@ HAND AN
SAY HELLO COUSIN.
>> Reporter: THIS IS WHY THEY
CAME, THIS4@4@ OLD WHITE WOMAN
JANE ELLIOTT AND SHE HAS SPENT
HER CAREER SCHOOLING PEOPLE IN
RACISM.
RACISM.
RACISM. IT ALL STARTED IN THE
CLASSROOM.
CLASSROOM. IT WAS 1968, ELLIOTT WAS A
THIRD GRADE TEACHER IN IOWA.
DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
HA4@D JUST BEEN KILLED.
DEEPLY MOVED BY THE TRAGEDY,
SHE DECIDED THERE WAS ONLY ONE
WAY TO TEACH HER WHITE STUDENTS
ABOUT DISCRIMINATION.
ABOUT DISCRIMINATION. >> YOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW IT
FEEL TO BE JUDGED BY THE COLOR
4@
FEEL TO BE JUDGED BY THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN?
DO YOU THINK 4@YOU DO?
NO, I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD
KNOW HOW THAT FELT UNLESS YOU
HAD BEEN THROUGH IT, 4@WOULD YO
IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO
JUDGE PEOPLE TODAY BY THE COLOR
OF THEIR EYES.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO 4@TRY THIS?
SOUNDS LIKE FUN, DOESN'T IT?
>> Reporter: THE KIDS SOON
REALIZED IT WASN'T FUN AT ALL,
AT LEAST FOR THE GROUP THAT WAS
DISCRIMINATED AGAINST FIRST.
THIS IS THE FAMOUS BLUE EYES
VERSUS BROWN EYES EXERCISE.
>> THE BROWN EYED PEOPLE DO NOT
GET TO USE THE DRINKING
FOUNTAIN, YOU WILL HAVE TO USE
PAPER CUPS.
PAPER CUPS. YOU BROWN EYED PEOPLE ARE NOT
TO PLAY WITH THE BLUE-EYED
PEOPLE ON THE PLAYGROUND.
>> Reporter: IT DIDN'T TAKE
LONG FOR FRIENDS TO TURN ON
EACH OTHER.
EACH OTHER. THE BROWN EYED STUDENTS WERE
HUMILIATED, ANGRY, AND SIMPLY
STOPPED TRYING.
STOPPED TRYING. THE BLUE-EYED STUDENTS TURNED
INTO BULLIES.
INTO BULLIES. >> I WATCHED WHAT HAD BEEN
MARVELOUS, COOPERATIVE,
MARVELOUS, COOPERATIVE, WONDERFUL,4@ THOUGHTFUL CHILDRE
TURN INTO NASTY, VICIOUS,
DISCRIMINATING LITTLE THIRD-
GRADERS.4@
GRADERS.4@ IN THE SPACE OF 15 MINUTES.
>> Reporter: THE EXERCISE WAS
LIFE-CHANGING FOR THOSE
INVOLVED.4@
INVOLVED.4@ THEY SAY ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD
IMPLEMENT THE EXERCISE4@ TO TEA
CHILDREN ABOUT DISCRIMINATION,
EMPATHY, AND RESPECT.
IT WAS GROUNDBREAKING BUT DO4@N
CALL IT COURAGEOUS.
>> DON'T THINK FOR ONE MINUTE
THAT IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE @
TO DO WHAT I DO.
IF I HAD BEEN A BLACK WOMAN THE
DAY I DID THAT EXERCISE WITH MY
THIRD-GRADERS, I WOULDN'T HAVE
LIVED THROUGH THE NIGHT.
I KNOW THAT.
I KNOW THAT NO BLACK WOMAN
WOULD BE PERMITTED TO SAY WHAT @
I SAY AND DO WHAT I DO EVEN
THOUGH THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT IT @
THAN I DO.
DO YOU REALIZE HOW UNFAIR THIS
IS?
IS?
IS? DO
IS? DO YOU REALIZE HOW UNJUST THIS
IS?
IS?
IS? AND
IS? AND DO YOU REALIZE HOW IMMORAL
THIS IS?
THIS IS?
THIS IS? IT'S NOT JUST UNCHRISTIAN, IT
IS IMMORAL AND IT HAS TO STOP.>>
EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHO
CONSIDERS HIMSELF OR HERSELF A
MEMBER OF THE YELLOW RACE,
PLEASE STAND.
PLEASE STAND. >> Reporter: PERMISSION TO
ERADICATE IGNORANCE THAT IS
RACISM, HER MESSAGE THAT THERE
IS ONLY ONE RACE.
>> THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE IN
THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE OF
PEOPLE IN THE FACE OF THE 4@
EARTH, IT IS THE HUMAN RACE.
YOU ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE SAME
RACE.
RACE.
RACE. >>
RACE. >> CRITICISM DOESN'T BOTHER ME,
I CONSIDER THE SOURCE.
IF THESE BLACK CHILDREN
CRITICIZE ME, I HAVE TO LISTEN
TO IT, BUT WHERE WHITES4@
CRITICIZE ME WHERE CRITICISM IS
CONCERNED I DON'T LET US LISTEN
TO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE SPEAKING
OUT OF IGNORANCE.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT
THE LIE OF THE RIGHTNESS OF
WHITENESS AND THEY NEED TO BE
EDUCATED.
EDUCATED.
EDUCATED. >> WHAT DO WE NEED TO TELL THE
CHILDREN?
CHILDREN?
CHILDREN? >>4@ TELL 4@YOUR CHILDREN DON'T
WANT ANYONE ELSE TO FIND YOU,
DON'T LET ANYONE ELSE TELL YOU
HOW GOOD YOU ARE, HOW SMART YOU
ARE, HOW CAPABLE YOU ARE AND
HOW WORTHWHILE YOU ARE OR
WORTHWHILE OR WHETHER OR NOT
CHART GOD LOVES YOU.
YOU TELL THEM GOOD THINGS AND
YOU SEE TO IT THAT THEY BELIEVE
THOSE GOOD THINGS.
>> WE ONLY DEFEAT OUR CHILDREN @
THOSE MESSAGES OF EMPOWERMENT.
FULL DISCLOSURE, AND FORMER PTO
PRESIDENT IN AN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL, I DID NOT ORGANIZE THE
SMITH BUT APPARENT AT THE SCHOOL
DID ORGANIZE THE EVENT.
250 PARENTS, WHEN I SPOKE TO
JANE ELLIOTT SHE SAID I WAS
MOVED THAT4@ THE MAJORITY BLACK
AUDIENCE CAME HERE TO LISTEN TO
AN OLD WHITE WOMAN TALK ABOUT
RACE.
RACE.
RACE. SO
RACE. SO YOU REACHED OUT TO 4@HER, YO
WERE SURPRISED THAT SHE
RESPONDED.
RESPONDED. WHY DID YOU REACH OUT?
>> THE MAIN REASON I REACHED
OUT IS BECAUSE I WANTED4@ OUR
FAMILIES TO 4@GET AHEAD OF THE
ISSUE.
ISSUE.
ISSUE. THE MAIN FOCUS FOR HER VISIT
WAS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS
NAVIGATE THESE CONVERSATIONS SO
THAT THEY CAN HAVE THEM IN AN
HONEST AND RESPECTFUL WAY.
I THINK THAT A LOT OF PARENTS
PROJECT THEIR FEARS ONTO
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. I DON'T THINK KIDS ARE AFRAID
TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, I
THINK PARENTS ARE AFRAID TO
HAVE THE CONVERSATION IN A
PROJECT THAT ONTO KIDS.
KIDS ARE TERRIBLY HONEST AND
THEY SAY WHAT IS ON THEIR MIND
AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE A
LITTLE RECKLESS WITH THEIR
THOUGHTS SO OUR GOAL WAS TO
HELP THEM NAVIGATE THESE
CONVERSATIONS SO THEY ARE NOT
RECKLESS AND THAT THEY ARE
RESPECTFUL AND LOVING.
>> LIKE SHE SAID, YOU'RE NOT
BORN A RACIST.
THAT IS LEARNED BEHAVIOR AND
ONE MESSAGE THAT I TOOK AWAY
FROM THAT IS THAT THERE IS ONE
RACE, THE HUMAN RACE AND IS
THAT A MESSAGE THAT YOU TEACH
YOUR OWN CHILDREN AT HOME?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. MY CHILDREN ARE VERY AWARE OF
THEIR SKIN COLOR AND SOME OF
THE, OPPRE4@SSION THAT COMES4@
ALONG WITH BEING A PERSON OF
COLOR BUT THEY ALSO ARE AWARE
THAT 4@WE ARE ALL PART OF 4@THE
HUMAN RACE AND WE TREAT4@4@
EVERYONE WITH RESPECT
REGARDLESS OF THEIR SKIN COLOR.
>> SO THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF
THE CONVERSATION.
THE CONVERSATION. MUCH MORE TO COME?
IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR SOME,
I MEAN JANE ELLIOTT GOT INVOKES
FACES AND SHE GOT A LI4@TTLE
SPICY AT 4@TIMES AND SOME FOLKS
LIKE YOU SAID ARE APPREHENSIVE
TO TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
>> I THINK A LOT OF OTHER
CONVERSATIONS NEED TO BE HAD.
OUR FOCUS AS PARENTS IS HAVING
THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR
CHILDREN AND TEACHING OUR 4@
CHILDREN HOW TO HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATION4@S.
CONVERSATION4@S. WE ARE ACTUALLY DISCUSSING
HAVING A CONVERSATION4@ SERIES4
ONGOING CONVERSATION SERIES
WHEN THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR STARTS
AND THAT IS DEFINITELY A GOAL.
BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH
STUDENTS IN OTHER SCHOOLS IN
THE AREA, WE SEE THE
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE EVERY YEAR
AND WE KNOW IT WILL CONTINUE TO
HAPPEN AND IT'S FINE.
WE JUST HAVE TO TEACH OUR
CHILDREN HOW TO WORK TOGETHER.
>> NOT JUST ADULT ISSUES, KID
ISSUES, THEY TAKE IT HOME AND
WE NEED TO TEACH THEM HOW TO
NAVIGATE THESE ISSUES.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND FOR
ORGANIZING JANE ELLIOTT AT THE
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. WE ALL TOOK A LOT FR4@OM4@ HER