A Collar In My Pocket: Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise

This is the most educational yet entertaining book I've read in my entire life. I'm a black American and this book and the exercise's that Mrs. Elliot puts non-minorities through is very good. I wish they would put this in all school systems. People who claim who want to help stop discrimination but who have little understanding or experience, yes I'm talking about the blue eyes in this world aka non-minorities in America, need to understand what it is exactly they are fighting against. I mean how can you wage war against something you don't understand. It's like entering the battle field blindfolded and with cleaning utensils instead of swords and shields. But this is also a cure for people who don't give a crap about racism and discrimination. If you're a blue eye you are very likely to see this book as another reason why racism is wrong but if that's the case then you have missed the purpose of this book. The purpose is education. Education is the cure for ignorance. This is also a good book for brown eyes out there. This book reminds us that we're no better than the next human being and despite how society views us we should treat everyone with respect and kindness. In other words, proving society wrong is not hard when you do the right thing.

Every white person could gain understanding of what white privilege looks like by reading this book.Very courageous woman to have undertaken this effort to help us see where we have so many blind spots and misunderstandings about racism.Highly recommended.

Overall the information is great and should be read by anyone wanting to really see the deeper issues with racism that gets written off because it's uncomfortable to visit. The reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because the book needs editing. Seemed a bit scattered in some parts, and the timeline was a bit hard to follow because this. Extraneous stuff needed to be ousted too (the seafood chapter, for example) recipes were distracting. I honestly don't understand the point Elliott was trying to make with the chapter, titled "Meeting Some Remarkable Muslims." The whole chapter seems a bit like she's bragging that she's embraced a Muslim son-in-law, even thought their culture is so patriarchal and she was afraid for her daughter. Seemed to go against what Elliott herself was trying to teach against. My opinion. Overall though, my take away as a biracial woman, this book hit some familiar, personal pain. It also brought to mind the different directions from which I experienced racism, and the odd experience of horizontal racism that both experienced and was practiced in my own home (especially her comment when questioned about her own blue eyes [paraphrased]: "I'm married to a brown eye, so that makes me a brown eye") goes on in non-white cultures stemming from the embedded belief in American and Western cultures that the pinnacle of human value lies in being white, heterosexual, and male. The problem overall is that we cannot seem to get past the color of skin, nor can our society get past the idea that it's not about being color-blind. We must as a species unlearn the hierarchy of color as human value and embrace and practice the concept of human value based on the fact that we are all human beings and should be treated with equal dignity and respect as well as practice this treatment toward others. Basic teaching of Jesus and Buddha...love one another unconditionally.

Mrs. Elliott has dealt with discrimination better than anyone. The fact that she's an older White woman makes me respect her even more. Her BE/BE test is the closest thing to discrimination against minorities, women, gays and the elderly that I've ever seen. Does her test change peoples lives? I'd like to think it has changed some. As a Black man, she's made me look at some things differently. Mainly that you can't walk around saying "you don't see color", that's no realistic. Just as you see height, weight and other different characteristics, color is a difference in people. The issue is discriminating because of the color.Lastly, she says something that I've said for most of my life, "there's only one race, the HUMAN race".Thanks Mrs. Elliot

An excellent book. This woman tried and successfully taught young people about racism.

The only good thing about this book was that buying it helps support Jane Elliott who is a great advocate for BLM and fighting racism across America and many other countries. Besides that, this book is terrible. It has well over 100 spelling/grammar mistakes - she even spells her own son's name wrong: Brain instead of Brian. The tone of the book is a snarky, sarcastic, and fairly abrasive tone - she's always talking down to the reader as if we're completely ignorant. At one point she tells the reader to lookup the definition of a word because she assumes we don't know it - I would recommend she learns to spell check before using a thesaurus to look up words nobody has heard of. She even has sections of the book where she talks about recipes, and she gives the whole recipe! Am I reading a cook book or a book on racism in America? She has chapters that clearly should be at the beginning of the book, but they're placed randomly in the middle. Jane Elliott is not a writer... at all. This book should have been written by somebody else explaining her story.

This is wonderful and helpful regarding the issue of "races."

A brilliant, no nonsense human being, who refuses to waste one minute of her time and ours on something so hideous as racism. She is a godsend to my heart and encouragement to my thirsty longing soul for Liberty, clothed in equality.

Why is this NOT on the school curriculum??????

The book writes of a simulated racism, discrimination and prejudice experiment called the Blue Eyes/ Brown Eyes test.The message of the book makes it a good read but her writing style is a little difficult to follow for British readers. It trails off with Americanisms, stories and quite weirdly recipes

What an amazing book so eye opening, couldn’t put it down read it in one afternoon

I found this book to be candid, informative and relatable. It begs of us to be better stewards in this Universe and to understand that we are one whether we choose to believe it or not.

Exactly the handbook i was looking for