Jane Elliott: The Diversity Educator par none at 88

I am Konstantina Mahlia a lifestyle creator, artist, author, designer and speaker for whom it is my honor to introduce to you today, JANE ELLIOTT. Jane’s lifetime of anti-racism activism began as an elementary school educator who responded to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr with a call to action. She did this in 1968, by enacting a classroom exercise based upon one created by Adolf Hitler in the Second World War. Jane’s adaptation- not adoption- of this horrific, genocidal experiment was to expose the nature of arbitrary discrimination and racism. The exercise, titled Blue Eyes/ Brown Eyes exposed the participant’s beliefs that some humans saw their fellow humans as inferior or superior solely based upon the arbitrary color of their eyes. The participants were eight-year-olds. Jane’s exercise has since been taught to, replayed and inspired millions around the world. Now in her late eighties, Jane continues to lead by her indomitable dedication and unquenchable passion for social justice. Her brutal honesty is a high bar that continues to be an unrelenting challenge to us all. We can choose to live a life with leadership, integrity, empathy and compassion as she has unequivocally modeled for all members of the human species through her life’s work.