Jane Elliott

Jane Elliott

Keynote Speaker: Diversity Trainer, Creator of "Blue Eyes–Brown Eyes" Exercise, Anti-Discrimination Educator

Jane Elliott Biography

Jane Elliott is a teacher and diversity trainer, widely recognized for her innovative "Blue Eyes–Brown Eyes" exercise. She developed this exercise in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, and first conducted it with her class the following day. The local newspaper published compositions from her students about the experience, which helped launch her career as a speaker against discrimination.

Elliott's exercise was filmed during its third iteration with her 1970 third-grade class, resulting in the award-winning documentary "The Eye of the Storm." This success led to the Emmy-winning retrospective "A Class Divided," which reunited the 1970 class members with Elliott 15 years later. Her work has also been featured in the documentary "The Angry Eye," which highlights the impact of racism on white American college students.

After retiring from teaching, Elliott has committed herself to full-time diversity education. She conducts seminars and lectures internationally, addressing the topics of racism, sexism, and ageism through her seminars such as "A Collar In My Pocket," which includes the initial discrimination exercise, discussion, film viewing, and evaluation. Her influential seminars and lectures, including "The Anatomy of Prejudice" and "Power, Perception & Prejudice," have made her a prominent figure in diversity training at colleges, universities, corporations, and civil service organizations. Elliott has been honored with the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education and has appeared on television shows like "The Today Show," "Tonight with Johnny Carson," "Donahue," and "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Additionally, she is the author of the book "A Collar In My Pocket: Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise."

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Jane Elliott and other top speakers and celebrities.

Jane Elliott Speaking Topics

Power, Perception, and Prejudice

A one-hour presentation during which Ms. Elliott uses audience members and visual aids to help us to recognize, identify, and appreciate the differences on which power is assigned, and some of the ways in which we are conditioned to develop some of our perceptions.

Ms. Elliott has successfully delivered these presentations to a wide variety of audiences throughout the world and is available to present these moving lectures before your group or organization.

The Anatomy of Prejudice

A three-hour presentation during which Ms. Jane Elliott, the adaptor of the Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise in teaching about the anatomy of prejudice and the subject of the Peabody Award-winning film, "The Eye of the Storm," introduces and discusses that film and explores with the audience the problems of racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, and ethnocentrism and the responsibility shared by all of us for illuminating them in and eliminating them from ourselves and our environment.

Those attending the presentation will be encouraged to discuss the issues raised as they relate to their own workplace. They will also be encouraged to discuss the materials presented on the handouts which are designed to help them to identify their own racist statements, behaviors, and attitudes. Participants will receive a list of suggested activities which, if implemented, can help them to decrease the amount of racism in their environment and a list of books which, if read, can provide added insights to the problems of the -isms with which we are all confronted.

Jane Elliott Videos

Jane Elliott on Her "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise" and Fighting ...
A Class Divided (full film) | FRONTLINE - YouTube
Anti-racism activist Jane Elliott & Roland Martin 2017 WCTF ...

How do I book Jane Elliott to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jane Elliott for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jane Elliott, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jane Elliott or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Jane Elliott for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Jane Elliott, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jane Elliott are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jane Elliott, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Jane Elliott speak about?

Jane Elliott is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Diversity & Inclusion, Social Activism, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Women, Culture, Education, Authors, Social Justice, Literary, College, Women's History Month and Social Sciences.

Where does Jane Elliott travel from?

Jane Elliott generally travels from Riceville, IA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Jane Elliott?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Jane Elliott for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jane Elliott for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jane Elliott or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Jane Elliott is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Diversity & Inclusion, Social Activism and Civil Rights. The estimated speaking fee range to book Jane Elliott for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Jane Elliott generally travels from Riceville, IA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nikki Giovanni, Dr. Bernice King and Angela Davis. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Jane Elliott for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 04/11/2024.

Jane Elliott Speaking Topics

  • Power, Perception, and Prejudice

    A one-hour presentation during which Ms. Elliott uses audience members and visual aids to help us to recognize, identify, and appreciate the differences on which power is assigned, and some of the ways in which we are conditioned to develop some of our perceptions.

    Ms. Elliott has successfully delivered these presentations to a wide variety of audiences throughout the world and is available to present these moving lectures before your group or organization.

  • The Anatomy of Prejudice

    A three-hour presentation during which Ms. Jane Elliott, the adaptor of the Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise in teaching about the anatomy of prejudice and the subject of the Peabody Award-winning film, "The Eye of the Storm," introduces and discusses that film and explores with the audience the problems of racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, and ethnocentrism and the responsibility shared by all of us for illuminating them in and eliminating them from ourselves and our environment.

    Those attending the presentation will be encouraged to discuss the issues raised as they relate to their own workplace. They will also be encouraged to discuss the materials presented on the handouts which are designed to help them to identify their own racist statements, behaviors, and attitudes. Participants will receive a list of suggested activities which, if implemented, can help them to decrease the amount of racism in their environment and a list of books which, if read, can provide added insights to the problems of the -isms with which we are all confronted.

Jane Elliott Videos

Jane Elliott on Her "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise" and Fighting ...
A Class Divided (full film) | FRONTLINE - YouTube
Anti-racism activist Jane Elliott & Roland Martin 2017 WCTF ...

Jane Elliott Reviews

  • Social Finance, Inc. (SoFi) - Feb 22 2022

  • Peloton - Jan 31 2022

  • Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions (CKPU) - Jan 26 2022

  • Washington State University - Apr 19 2021

  • Vestas American Wind Technology - Jan 18 2021

Jane Elliott News

  • How do I book Jane Elliott to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jane Elliott for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jane Elliott, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jane Elliott or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Jane Elliott for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Jane Elliott, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jane Elliott are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jane Elliott, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Jane Elliott speak about?

    Jane Elliott is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Diversity & Inclusion, Social Activism, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Women, Culture, Education, Authors, Social Justice, Literary, College, Women's History Month and Social Sciences.
  • Where does Jane Elliott travel from?

    Jane Elliott generally travels from Riceville, IA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Jane Elliott?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Jane Elliott for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jane Elliott for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jane Elliott or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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