Jane Elliott

Jane Elliott is an internationally renowned teacher, lecturer, and diversity trainer with over 55 years’ experience as a face of global diversity education and training. Recipient of the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education, Jane is most well-known for her ‘Blue Eyes & Brown Eyes Exercise’, making national news in 1968 and resulting in numerous documentaries. This direct response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, involved the labelling of students in her classroom as inferior and superior based off their eye colour in an attempt to make them better understand how it felt to be discriminated against for being different. To this day, Jane continues to fight against all aspects of discrimination with her workshops and lectures being labelled as powerful and eye-opening to all in attendance.

Jane began her teaching career in 1953 in a small school in Randall, Iowa. Having always felt strongly about the rampant discrimination and prejudice present in America, she was known for always having open discussions with her students surrounding the topic. Having gained notoriety in 1968 from her ‘Blue Eyes & Brown Eyes Exercise’, Jane was invited to appear on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to talk about her teaching efforts, this caused significant negative backlash from many Americans. She did not let this affect her however as Jane continued to conduct the study in her classroom as well as beginning work on the side as a diversity trainer, running workshops and training days. Jane is considered to be the forerunner and ‘founder’ of modern-day diversity training.

By the mid-1980’s Jane became a full-time diversity trainer and has gone on to conduct training with major corporations such as General Electric, Exxon, AT&T, and IBM, as well as lecturing to the FBI, IRS, US Navy, US Department of Education, and US Postal Service. She has since published a book entitled, "A Collar in My Pocket: The Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Exercise" and been a leading supporter of the Black Lives Matter Movement both via her growing social media and through lectures, talks and television interviews.

A 1990 research study by the Utah State University demonstrated that virtually all subjects from a Jane Elliott diversity training lecture reported the experience was meaningful for them. This is a common theme for many people who find Jane’s talks and thought experiments have had long lasting effects on their lives and impacted how they conduct themselves. Hire Jane Elliott today to educate audiences and challenge all perspectives on race and discrimination through insightful, inspiring lectures and workshops.