Freedom Writers is among the very few movies I find myself revisiting every now and then. It’s based o
n the true story of a young teacher Erin Gruwell, who teaches at-risk students in a region where gang violence and racial tension is highly prevalent. Her students are impacted by and involved in these gangs, which has impacted their education negatively.
These students are rowdy and ill-mannered towards other students and faculty members. At first, Gruwell struggles with adjusting in a different environment with uncooperative students who keep getting in trouble with authorities. However, she introduces them to the power of writing by urging them to share their personal experiences in writing journals. As the students start opening up and connecting through their heartfelt writing, they bond and forge connections that transcends beyond their history with gang violence.
What I loved about this movie was that Gruwell introduced her students to literature that taught them the power of tolerance and kindness, including The Diary of Anne Frank. I really admired her persistence in instilling in her students a sense of hope and teach them empathy along with the importance of education despite all the hurdles and skepticism from the school administration and detrimental external influences.
The most valuable lesson that we can learn from Freedom Writers is the power and ability of education to transform lives of young people regardless of their backgrounds and rough upbringings. In a society that gave up on hope for the students and wrote them off as hopeless and incompetent, Gruwell was able to help them achieve amazing things through education which transformed their lives. This film moves me to tears every time I watch it and I urge everyone to watch it at least once.