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WEBVTT SOLEDAD: THE COMING MARTINLUTHER KING HOLIDAY IS A DAYOCOMMEMORATE THE LIFE AND LEGYOF THE MAN WHOSE FIGHT FOREQUALITY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAENDED WITH AN ASSASSIN'S .DR. KING WAS MURDERED ON THELORRAINE MOTEL BALCONY IMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ON APRIL4TH, 196HIS DEATH SET OFF DAYS OFRIOTING IN CITIES ACROSSAMERICIT ALSO INSPIRED JANE ELLIOTRICEVILLE, IOWA, TO TRY ACONTROVERSIAL CLASSROOMEXPERIMENT -- TREATING CHILDNAS INFERIOR OR SUPERIOR BASESOLELY ON THE COLOR OF THEIREYES.CORRESPONDENT JESSICA GOMEZTRAVELED BACK TO IOWA TO TALKTO JANE ELLIOTT, NOW 84, ABOUTWHY HER EXERCISE IS AS RELEVTTODAY AS IT WAS 50 YEARS AGOJESSICA: JANE ELLIOTT WAS AYOUNG, THIRD-GRADE TEACHER INRURAL IOWA WHEN SHE HEARD THENEWSMARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., HAJANE ELLIOTT: I WAS ABSOLUTEHEARTBROKEN, BECAUSE HE HAD ONE OF OUR HEROES OF THE MONJESSICA: AS CHAOS BROKE OUT INBIG CITIES FAR AWAY, ELLIOWONDERED HOW SHE WOULD EXPLATO OTHEIR HERO OF THE MONTH.GOING TO LET THEM WALK IN THESHOES OF A PERSON OF COLOR THIS COUNTRY FOR A DAY.JESSICA: WHAT SHE DID NEXT WCAPTURED IN THIS ABCDOCUMENTARY, FILMED JUST TWOYEARS LATER. THE "BROWN EYED, BLUE EYED"EXERCISE.JANE ELLIOTT: IS THERE ANYONTHE UNITED STATES THAT WE DO TREAT AS OUR BROTHERS? WHO?THE BLACK PEOPLE.IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO JUPEOPLE TODAY BY THE COLOR OFTHEIR EYES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY THIS? >> YEAH.JANE ELLIOTT: I WAS GOING TOPICK OUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE ONTHE BASIS OF A PHYSICALHAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL.I WAS GOING TO ASSIGN NEGATITRAITS TO THEM BECAUSE OF THPHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC ALONEAND SINCE I'M BLUE EYED ANOF THE STUDENTS ARE BLUE EYED,THE BROWN EYED PEOPLE ARE GOBLUE-EYED PEOPLE ARE NOT ALL BEDEQUIPMENT AT ANY TIME.WITHIN SEDCREATED A SUPERIOR BROWN EYEDGROUP WHO WERE CONVINCED OFTHEIR OWN SUPERIORITY.JESSICA: A FEW DAYS LATER,ELLIOTT SWITCHED IT UPSTILL PICTURES CAPTURE VISIBCHANGES IN JANE'S STUDENTS,BEFORE AND AFTER THEY WEREDISCRIMINATED AGAINST JUSTBECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THEIREYESIT WAS AFTER HER STUDENTS WROTEESSAYS ABOUT TTHAT WORD GOT OUT.JANE'S EXERCISE MADE NATINEWS.DOCUMENTARIES, TAND BOOKS WERE TO FOLLOW.THE NATION WAS INTERESTED INJANE ELLIOTT. STILL, THERE WAS BACKLASH.JANE ELLIOTT: AND THEN MY KIGOT BEATEN, AND MY PARENTS LOSTHEIR BUSINESS, AND PEOPLE WCALL IN AND SAY, "DON'T PUT MYKID IN TCLASSROOM."JESSICA: THIS IS RICEVILELEMENTARY SCHOOL TODAY.THIRD-GRADE CLASSROOM, MUCH SCHANGED.TABLES HAVE REPLACED DESKS.THE WHITE BOARD HAS REPLACEDRICEVILLE IS STILL ALMOST ALLWHITE.IN FACT, MITCHELL COUNTY HAS ONEPOPULATIONS IN THE COUNTRY. DID JANE ELLIOTT'S EXERCILEAVE AN IMPRINT HERE?FARMER RICK SLETTEN WAS IN TTTHIRD-GRADE CLASS IN 1968.RICK SLETTEN: I REMEMBER WHENWAS IN COLLEGE, I HAD AFRICANAMERICAN FRIENDS, AND I THOUHUH, I WONDER IF I TREAT THEMDIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF THISEXPERIMENT OR NOT? I DOI DON'T KNOW.I JUST TREATED THEM LIEVERYBODY ELSE.JESSICA: ELLIOTT, WHO SAYS SHEWAS DISOWNED BY HER OWN MOTHEBEEATTENTION, EVENTUALLY MOVED AFROM RICEVILLE AND WENT ON TOBECOME A SOUGHT-AFTER NATIONANTDACTIVITO THIS DAY, SHARING HEREXERCISE WITH THOSE WHO AREWILLING TO PARTICIPATE.JANE ELLIOTT: I HAVE THE RIGTO SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY, GOWHERE I WANT TO GO, BE WHAT IWANT TO BE.NOT UNTIL EVERYONE HAS THATRIGHIAM DOING.JESSICA: AND ELLIOTT SAYS, INRECENT MONTHS, SHE'S REALJUST HOW MORE WORK NEEDS TO DONE.JANE ELLIOTT: IT IS MOREACCEPTABLE TO EXPRESS YOURRACISM TODAY THAN IT WAS IN1968.THIS COUNTRY IS IN DANGER OFLOSING ITS DEMOCRACY BECAUSEFTHE WILLINGNESS OF PEOPLE TO SSKIN COLOR AS A NEGATIVEJESSICA: ELLIOTT WISHES EVERYTHIRD-GR,WHAT SHE CALLS, "MAGIC EYES."JANE ELLIOTT: AND IF WE HADEVERY THIRD-GRADE TEACHER IN THEUNITED STATES OF AMERICA DOINGRACISM IN TWO TO THREE