It all started in a third-grade class in Iowa. It escalated to an Oprah Winfrey show appearance and national recognition as an expert on prejudice.

Jane Elliott, a nationally-known race relations expert, will give a lecture on “The Anatomy of Prejudice” Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

Elliott, a former elementary school teacher in Iowa, is best known for her “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” experiment.

She conducted the experiment in her third-grade class the day following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination in 1968.

In the experiment, Elliott divided her students into groups on the basis of their eye color.

According to the experiment, the blue-eyed group of students were the “wrong” eye color. They were identified as bad.

Students who belonged to the brown-eyed group where given special privileges while the blue-eyed group was denied privileges.

The results of the experiment demonstrated how racism is created when it is imposed on children at such a young age.

Since that time, Elliott has committed herself to leading the fight against prejudice, ignorance and racism in today’s society.

Grif Kolberg, a senior in international finance, had Elliott as a private tutor when he was in the fourth grade in Riceville, Iowa.

Kolberg said Elliot produced a video in the ’70s depicting the blue-eyed/brown-eyed experiment.

Elliot’s video, which shows the experiment, is still shown to students today, he said.

“They show the tape that includes the experiment and then there is a discussion,” Kolberg said.

“Because the tape is shown to such a young crowd, they are more inclined to give their viewpoint and are more vocal with their thoughts,” Kohlberg said.

Kolberg said Elliott’s lecture may make many people feel uncomfortable.

“People at the lecture will feel offended and take the things she says as a personal attack on them,” he said.

“The lecture will wake you up, like an alarm clock, it makes you think about it a little bit,” Kohlberg said.

He said Elliott impresses him with her intelligence.

“She speaks from her mind and she isn’t restricted by society,” he said.

Pat Miller, program coordinator for the Committee on Lectures, said Elliott will give a “very intense” three-hour interactive lecture and may perform the blue-eyed/brown-eyed experiment.

“She is a very dynamic speaker,” Miller said. “She pulls people out of the audience … it is a moving experience.”

Miller said Elliott is to be the subject of an upcoming feature- length film produced by Disney and starring actress Susan Sarandon.

A discussion following the lecture led by peer facilitators will take place Friday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in room 244-246 of the Memorial Union.

The lecture is sponsored by Multicultural Task Force, Department of Residence and Committee on Lecture.