Incredible lesson about racism, for everyone - For EVERYONE.

[lordhathor]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sh...d/etc/view.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw a story on the register news, about a woman in the '60s (and '70s). She was an Iowa schoolteacher who, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in 1968, gave her third-grade students a first-hand experience in the meaning of discrimination. This is the story of what she taught the children, and the impact that lesson had on their lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I strongly recommend that EVERYONE watch ALL of these segments. This is something that would change anyone's life, just to see, wether you're the most culturaly diverse person on the planet, or a member of the KKK. I myself, though I've never had a problem with any particular race, learned many a thing in watching these vid files. I will have been forever changed, in a small way, because of this dramatic realization. This is something that nobody can miss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not the kind of thing you might see in school assemblies, like some dude standing in front of you saying "racism is wrong, mmm'kay?", it's something almost subliminal. Even if you don't notice it, you WILL be changed by this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sh...d/etc/view.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT: Oh, I'm afraid they all require real media player, but it's still way more than worth it! It's something like 50 minutes in total. It's fairly long, but you'll learn an incredible ammount.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After reading the forum rules, I've found that according to what I know, it's okay to post these links. If I was wrong, please feel free to remove them or delete/lock this post. Sorry if I am wrong, but I didn't see any rule against posting links (that aren't referral or possibly harmful links)

[Nadril]

Well, I just watched the first 2 parts of it, and I must say, she was one smart lady. It was very interesting to see the kids reactions, such as the fight that started, just because they were suposably "better" than the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitly a good thing to watch. :)

[lordhathor]

Thanks. :) Glad you liked it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BTW, WOW@your post count.

[Lionheart_0]

yes very interesting... im gonna get ahold of her somehow in the next few years and see if i could use it when i become a teacher.

[lordhathor]

Good idea. That is something everyone can learn from. :)

[cjlhdevil]

I'm only one and a half videos through but I got driving now, but Wow it is so effective and to be honest for 2 days to completely stop racism I think this should happen in all schools.

[craziekye]

Wow that was amazing, I think that if they showed that on tv on every channel, it would change a lot of lives. I am form NY, USA and there is a lot of conflicts between africa americans and cacasion people. I now live in another state, and the conflict is with hispanics and cacasions. Me Im not racist, I learn from other peoples lessons (im not mean either lol). But I think that no matter what people watch or learn, discrimination will be every where even if it is eye color. Personally I would like to see a racist free world. People say americans have it easy, I do agree. In some countries, people are dying from war, etc. because of discrimination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as a little side note, it can also be viewed in Windows Media player, it gives you that option at the top center of the window.

[lordhathor]

Agreed. This is a very valuable lesson for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS - Love the Stargate avatar. ;) that show pwnz.

[rocketman089]

It's both amazing and disturbing how one simple, reinforced idea can change the attitudes of an entire classroom of children in minutes. It's amazing how the discriminated party can so easily lose confididence and morale, do poorly on a test, and feel bad about themselves, while the other party of kids demean and insult the other kids, score higher on tests, and express superiority.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What went on in that classroom, the reinforcement of discriminatory ideals, has been going on in our country for hundreds of years. If the kids can be manipulated that easily in the matter of a day, it's hard to imagine 400 years of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The thing is, I don't think we've done much to rid ourselves of racism/sexism today much at all. Sure, you don't really hear about any cross-burning, name calling, etc., but you see it all over tv on shows that satirize racism and use discriminatory remarks blatantly (Chapelles Show for example). You hear jokes all around school and on the internet, you may silently say to yourself or to your friend things as simple as "he jumps high because he's black" or "he's too white to dance like that".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just think racism and discrimination in society is just at a stage where it's not necesarily hate that breeds from it, but what one thinks of as just a bit of harmless prejudicism. It may seem okay because noone is getting hurt and everyone's just laughing about it, but that just makes people think it's okay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I doubt I explained everything how I wanted it to seem like, it's one of those things i'm not sure about and it's hard to explain what I think about it. If someone has any question about what I wrote, just say so so I can explain myself more clearly. I don't want what I wrote to be misunderstood, which is likely as even I'm confused about what I wrote.

[Purcell364]

yes very interesting... im gonna get ahold of her somehow in the next few years and see if i could use it when i become a teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't imagine a teacher being able to do that these days. I think they would just get in to much trouble, though i would love to see it done.

[Phil]

Anyone explain the videos to me?

 

 

 

They wont work with 56k :x

[Lionheart_0]

Anyone explain the videos to me?

 

 

 

They wont work with 56k :x

 

 

 

Well basicly a teacher back in the 60-70s created an idea to help kids see how racism was bad. She made it that the kids in the class who had blue eyes were supirior then the browned eye ones. Ant he kids belived it. There was even a fight between two kids. Then the next day she reversed it, and said she lied. She said that Brown eyed people were supirior. The blue eyed kids got picked on, and the day before they were the top dogs and doing well on tests, the next day they were all sad and not doing to well on the tests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It taught the kids a lesson.

[lordhathor]

Perhaps the most amazing thing is how the difference between being TOLD you're superior or inferior had such a great effect on the mental state of the person who believed they were more stupid actualy began to ACT more stupid. Their beliefs and those of others as they were impressed upon them effected them so strongly, however unfounded, that they took on the shape and form of what they were expected to be, and believed to be. It was, as the man said, a sense of hopelessness.

 

 

 

Maybe a subconcious attitude of "If they all think I'm stupid, maybe I am stupid... If I'm stupid, then why even bother trying to outdo anyone?"

[Higothrekk]

I'm presuming this post is about Jane Elliott, as she was the first to conduct this test that I heard, a more sadistic , revolting and unsuitable teacher could ever be seen teaching in Iowa ever again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She not only told them that a certain group was inferior, she also made the inferior children wear collars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She also advocated not only treating them as inferior but requiring them to serve the 'superior' children in an degrading fashion, or to pretend to be slow of thinking to give the superior children a reason to taunt them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If she left any mark on the MANY abused children that have been subjected to this treatment, it's a wound that can only hurt them more and more, and far from getting this evil woman some serious help and condeming this practice to all future generations of teachers, your claiming this is not only acceptable but has a practical use in society? :roll:

[lordhathor]

If they were "marked", they were marked with a greater understanding of "the other shoe". At the end (of what was only 2 days of this exercise) she told them all exactly what was going on, and tought them a darn good lesson.

[Higothrekk]

If they were "marked", they were marked with a greater understanding of "the other shoe". At the end (of what was only 2 days of this exercise) she told them all exactly what was going on, and tought them a darn good lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, you see I didn't understand it was ok to abuse children so long as it was only for 2 days and were being taught respect, I guess those nice innocent people who killed their baby by putting cigarettes out on her for a couple of days were only teaching her not to cry when mommy and daddy were busy gulping down the vodka?

[lordhathor]

 

If they were "marked", they were marked with a greater understanding of "the other shoe". At the end (of what was only 2 days of this exercise) she told them all exactly what was going on, and tought them a darn good lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, you see I didn't understand it was ok to abuse children so long as it was only for 2 days and were being taught respect, I guess those nice innocent people who killed their baby by putting cigarettes out on her for a couple of days were only teaching her not to cry when mommy and daddy were busy gulping down the vodka?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How in the name of all that is unholy do you go from a lesson about racism to comparing it to killing a baby by burning holes in it?.....................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your definition of abuse doens't allow for any form of parenting or teaching what so ever, that involves a lesson learned by experience.

[Higothrekk]

 

 

If they were "marked", they were marked with a greater understanding of "the other shoe". At the end (of what was only 2 days of this exercise) she told them all exactly what was going on, and tought them a darn good lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, you see I didn't understand it was ok to abuse children so long as it was only for 2 days and were being taught respect, I guess those nice innocent people who killed their baby by putting cigarettes out on her for a couple of days were only teaching her not to cry when mommy and daddy were busy gulping down the vodka?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How in the name of all that is unholy do you go from a lesson about racism to comparing it to killing a baby by burning holes in it?.....................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You were the one advocating abuse to teach so long as it was short term and had some vauge chance to imprint more on children than usual, I was just putting it in a different context.

[lordhathor]

 

 

 

If they were "marked", they were marked with a greater understanding of "the other shoe". At the end (of what was only 2 days of this exercise) she told them all exactly what was going on, and tought them a darn good lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, you see I didn't understand it was ok to abuse children so long as it was only for 2 days and were being taught respect, I guess those nice innocent people who killed their baby by putting cigarettes out on her for a couple of days were only teaching her not to cry when mommy and daddy were busy gulping down the vodka?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How in the name of all that is unholy do you go from a lesson about racism to comparing it to killing a baby by burning holes in it?.....................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You were the one advocating abuse to teach so long as it was short term and had some vauge chance to imprint more on children than usual, I was just putting it in a different context.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never advocated abuse. I advocated lessons. She told them from the beginning that it was just an exercise. Context has nothing to do with it. Teaching a child is nothing like killing it...

[Higothrekk]

 

 

 

 

If they were "marked", they were marked with a greater understanding of "the other shoe". At the end (of what was only 2 days of this exercise) she told them all exactly what was going on, and tought them a darn good lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, you see I didn't understand it was ok to abuse children so long as it was only for 2 days and were being taught respect, I guess those nice innocent people who killed their baby by putting cigarettes out on her for a couple of days were only teaching her not to cry when mommy and daddy were busy gulping down the vodka?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How in the name of all that is unholy do you go from a lesson about racism to comparing it to killing a baby by burning holes in it?.....................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You were the one advocating abuse to teach so long as it was short term and had some vauge chance to imprint more on children than usual, I was just putting it in a different context.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never advocated abuse. I advocated lessons. She told them from the beginning that it was just an exercise. Context has nothing to do with it. Teaching a child is nothing like killing it...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no mention anywhere of asking for the permission of the children, and only occasional casual reference to asking a parents consent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given a choice do you really think these children would ask to be collared and demeaned, or have their impressionable young minds encouraged to bully and taunt other children?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you really think any kind of real parent would accept some teacher-wannabe-psychologist performing this kind of 'lab-rat' test on their children?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Would you?

[lordhathor]

As for your first question, children don't ask to go to school, be parented, or be tought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the second, yes, I would teach my children in this same way. I intend to, in fact. They will know it's just a demonstration, just as those kids do. If someone being artificialy rude to them for a day and a half to 2 days, can damage them psychologicaly, then they shouldn't be in school in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think you're just an uptight [puncture] who can't think of anything better to do than criticize someone else's ingenius idea, because your daddy never loved you or some other stupid crap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Either way, I'm done talking to you. You obviously have no sense of reason or logic.

[Scruffy5389]

Higothrekk, are you serious?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mom went through a similar experience in grade school. She didn't enjoy it, because in her case it was people with blond hair or blue eyes that got made to stand out in the hall for a while. She was a goody-two shoes who never did anything wrong, but because of her hair and eyes (she had both blond and blue) she got punished. She approved of it eventually, even if she didn't enjoy it at the time. She thinks she learned from it, anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So basically, yes, I think my parents would be just fine if this test were put on me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, do you really think that the 'abuse' that you object to so much is really going to scar a kid for life? I experienced worse than that, and I'm mostly normal. Quite frankly, a kid who can't handle that kind of abuse is already in deep carp just because of regular growing-up unhappiness. This extra abuse that the teacher gave them is peanuts compared to, say, trying to find someone to talk to in a big cafeteria when your best friend is absent :shock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in fact, the entire idea of the exercise was to abuse the kids a little. Not too much, nothing extreme, nothing permanent, but instead just enough to make them know how it feels to be abused. Then they will know what it feels like to be abused (specifically, discriminated against), they will be more sympathetic to victims of racism, and consequently they will not be racists themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a harmless way of making kids sympathetic towards the feelings of others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking a test is a pain in the rear too. Do you say that that is abuse too and refuse to take the test? No. It is unpleasant, but it is how you learn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

......aaaaannnnd a little more on-topic, I didn't click the link, but from what you've said, I saw the video as a freshman in high school. It really is one of the best tools of teaching kids about racism I have ever encountered, and I've been subjected to a lot of useless drivel about caring and respect. People really should watch it if they can find the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most amazing to me is the kid who got in a fight.

 

 

 

Teacher: Billy, why did you hit Tommy?

 

 

 

Billy: He called me blue-eyed!

 

 

 

...and Billy really has blue eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although that bit about test results reflecting whoever the teacher told them was superior at the time was pretty incredible too.

[Higothrekk]

As for your first question, children don't ask to go to school, be parented, or be tought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the second, yes, I would teach my children in this same way. I intend to, in fact. They will know it's just a demonstration, just as those kids do. If someone being artificialy rude to them for a day and a half to 2 days, can damage them psychologicaly, then they shouldn't be in school in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think you're just an uptight fool who can't think of anything better to do than criticize someone else's ingenius idea, because your daddy never loved you or some other stupid crap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Either way, I'm done talking to you. You obviously have no sense of reason or logic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parents choose what they think is best for their children, to have an education, to have loving parents and have good teachers, is somthing that should be standard and has no detrimental effects, telling them their inferior to someone else and bullying them is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, if the children know it's a demonstration, surely they don't give a damn, will know they could never be treated that way for long periods and will surely either see the whole thing as a joke or as somthing to be acted along with to please adults. The children do not except in sanitised versions of this abusive experiment for recording, know what is being done to them by adults who obviously care nothing for a childs mental state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excuse me for not wanting children, potentially one day my children being treated in this way, Caring for our children is obviously somthing that's far removed from your mind.

[Higothrekk]

Higothrekk, are you serious?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mom went through a similar experience in grade school. She didn't enjoy it, because in her case it was people with blond hair or blue eyes that got made to stand out in the hall for a while. She was a goody-two shoes who never did anything wrong, but because of her hair and eyes (she had both blond and blue) she got punished. She approved of it eventually, even if she didn't enjoy it at the time. She thinks she learned from it, anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So basically, yes, I think my parents would be just fine if this test were put on me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, do you really think that the 'abuse' that you object to so much is really going to illegal program a kid for life? I experienced worse than that, and I'm mostly normal. Quite frankly, a kid who can't handle that kind of abuse is already in deep carp just because of regular growing-up unhappiness. This extra abuse that the teacher gave them is peanuts compared to, say, trying to find someone to talk to in a big cafeteria when your best friend is absent :shock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in fact, the entire idea of the exercise was to abuse the kids a little. Not too much, nothing extreme, nothing permanent, but instead just enough to make them know how it feels to be abused. Then they will know what it feels like to be abused (specifically, discriminated against), they will be more sympathetic to victims of racism, and consequently they will not be racists themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a harmless way of making kids sympathetic towards the feelings of others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking a test is a pain in the rear too. Do you say that that is abuse too and refuse to take the test? No. It is unpleasant, but it is how you learn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

......aaaaannnnd a little more on-topic, I didn't click the link, but from what you've said, I saw the video as a freshman in high school. It really is one of the best tools of teaching kids about racism I have ever encountered, and I've been subjected to a lot of useless drivel about caring and respect. People really should watch it if they can find the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most amazing to me is the kid who got in a fight.

 

 

 

Teacher: Billy, why did you hit Tommy?

 

 

 

Billy: He called me blue-eyed!

 

 

 

...and Billy really has blue eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although that bit about test results reflecting whoever the teacher told them was superior at the time was pretty incredible too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You've had worse? your teacher while you were young told you were inferior to your classmates and punished you for it, and allowed your classmates to do the same while she/he observed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is about seeing adults treating children like this as acceptable, if this is acceptable, maybe locking them in rooms for just a couple of days to see what happens is acceptable, maybe injecting them with just a 'little' of this drug is acceptable, maybe whipping them just a 'tiny' bit is acceptable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you decide somthing is acceptable, people will again start to push their limits, it's the way their minds work.

[lordhathor]

You are blowing this out of proportion and comparing it to ridiculous stuff again. The only way to prove your point is to prove something else, abandoning your point entirely. You don't know what you're talking about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The adults aren't abusing the children, and they're not teaching them it's okay! The purpose is teach them it's NOT okay. God damn, you're stupid.