A Class Divided

A Class Divided presents a powerful lesson on discrimination and prejudice conducted by Iowa schoolteacher Jane Elliott. In the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, Elliott devised an eye-opening exercise for her third-grade students in the small, all-white town of Riceville, Iowa. The documentary chronicles this exercise and its lasting impact on the participants.

Elliott’s experiment, known as the “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise, divided her class based on eye color. On the first day, blue-eyed children were told they were superior, receiving privileges and praise, while brown-eyed children were made to wear collars and faced criticism. The roles were reversed on the second day. The results were striking, as children in the “superior” group became mean-spirited and discriminatory, while those in the “inferior” group performed poorly and appeared genuinely dejected.

The film follows up with Elliott’s former students 14 years later, as they reunite to watch footage of their younger selves participating in the exercise. As adults, they reflect on the profound impact the lesson had on their lives and attitudes towards discrimination. Many express how the experience shaped their views on prejudice and influenced their approach to raising their own children.

The documentary also showcases the broader applications of Elliott’s exercise beyond the classroom. It depicts Elliott conducting a similar workshop with employees of the Iowa prison system, demonstrating how adults react to the same lesson in discrimination. Their responses mirror those of the children, highlighting the universal nature of the exercise’s impact.

Throughout the film, Elliott emphasizes the importance of recognizing and confronting prejudice in all its forms. She argues that experiencing discrimination firsthand, even in a controlled setting, can lead to greater empathy and understanding for marginalized groups.