Overcoming Racial Turmoil: The Story of 'Freedom Writer'

'Freedom Writer' by Richard La Gravense is a film that tells the true story of a teacher and 150 students at Woodro Wilson High School. Inspired by Eva's diary, it depicts their struggles amidst racial turmoil. Despite facing gang violence and racial tensions, the students work hard to overcome their differences with the help of their devoted teacher who puts her personal life on hold for their reconciliation.

Erin Gruwell, the main character, is a new enthusiastic teacher at Woodro Wilson High School in Long Beach.

In 1994, she starts her first teaching job as the freshman and sophomore English teacher at the school, which had recently implemented a voluntary integration program. The movie begins with a scene from the 1992 Los Angeles riots, also known as the Rodney King Riots, in South Central Los Angeles - the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Disturbance and Civil Unrest.

Erin's initial joy in teaching her students diminishes when she discovers they are all 'at-risk' instead of the enthusiastic learners she anticipated.

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She is taken aback by the classroom atmosphere, where students adhere to strict moral principles to protect themselves at all costs. Many belong to gangs and have witnessed gang violence firsthand, shaping their self-perception as courageous warriors in a battle. Their strongest animosity is directed towards Mrs. Gruwell.

After engaging in an unauthorized conversation about a recent fatal drive-by shooting, she finally grasps the challenges she faces. Assigning daily journal writing tasks, ungraded and optional to share, further exposes the racial segregation within her classroom. Tensions escalate, leading to conflict and eventually causing a decline in student attendance.

Erin encounters resistance not only from her students but also from her department head.

The department refuses to allow students to bring books in case they are damaged or lost and instead advises the teacher to focus on teaching discipline and obedience. Initially, all the students, including Cambodians, Mexicans, Latinos, blacks, and one white student, resist listening to her. They believe she is there to impose her authority and teach them irrelevant things. They show no interest in her genuine effort to discuss Homer, the Greek poet. They harbor resentment towards her. The students are divided along self-imposed ethnic lines.

During classroom arguments, the students express their belief that all white people are cruel and disgusting due to their race. They disregard their teacher's advice as a result. Erin confronts them about racism and the Holocaust, urging reconciliation. She educates them on Nazi Germany's bigotry and genocide against Jews, leading the young "Adolf Hitler gang" to reflect on their behavior.

Erin organizes a game in the classroom to uncover the root of animosity towards different races, stemming from the Holocaust that instilled fear in people. Through this activity, she learns why they harbor hatred towards one another and discovers that they have lost loved ones due to racial conflicts.

Gradually earning the trust of her students, she purchases composition books for them to document their diaries. In these diaries, they share their experiences of abuse, witnessing friends die, and facing eviction. Committed to reforming her students, she takes on two part-time jobs to buy more books and dedicates more time at school. Her determination drives her towards her goal, working tirelessly to bring a family member to school. Despite her husband's lack of understanding towards her connection with the students, she is willing to leave him in order to fulfill her mission.

Despite initial resistance from her teaching staff, Erin notices that her students are gradually opening up in their diaries, sharing their pain, experiences, loneliness, and discrimination. She empathizes with their struggles and decides to help them become better students. Despite opposition to her methods, Erin continues to dedicate time and effort to her students, eventually earning their cooperation and understanding, with the exception of Eva.

Erin believes it is important for students to personally connect with Holocaust survivors, so she arranges for them to speak with her class and takes them on a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance. To ensure they receive a meaningful experience, she funds the trip herself and enlists her father's support in engaging the students. Initially, the students lacked awareness, but through Erin's guidance and targeted activities, they became more self-aware as they delved into the challenging subject matter.

When the students were able to write in the journals, she feels happy. Eva was not ready to cooperate with Erin initially. She disliked Erin more than other students at first. However, when her friends urged her to reconsider Erin and her positive qualities, she began to write and cooperate with her. Eva faced many hardships, especially during her childhood. She will never forget the time when her next door neighbor was shot for no clear reason, solely because of his race.

After the police took her father away, Eva witnessed the unjust arrest of a Maxicon. This experience at a young age made her resilient and taught her to stand up against her foes. Initially harboring hatred towards Erin and people of different races, Eva eventually recognized her prejudices and began to respect her teachers. She channeled her emotions and family struggles into writing. Eva successfully convinced her father to trust Erin, demonstrating her growth and maturity.

Erin securely stored their writing on a computer, giving them the freedom to write whatever they please in their diaries without fear of anyone else seeing them without permission. Erin's actions had a significant impact on Eva's life and the lives of many students. By excelling in her work, she demonstrated her capabilities and challenged the status quo by sacrificing her own marriage to advocate for her students. Refusing to accept the label of "un-teachable" placed on her students by others, Erin dared to believe in their potential and fought against the academic system's limitations.

Initially, the students were reluctant to accept help, but the instructor demonstrated moral integrity and earned their respect with her words and actions. She maintained a strong commitment to her job. The director of the movie skillfully portrayed the story, highlighting the reunion of characters amid a significant racial conflict. Eva's diary served as a guiding light, leading the characters to reconciliation. Without Eva's diary, this reconciliation may not have been possible. In addition to fostering reconciliation, she encouraged the characters to freely express themselves through writing.