Who are the Freedom Writers and what happened to them?
The Freedom Writers, including Erin Gruwell (front, center), in 1999. (File photo) Sue Ellen Alpizar wiped away tears as she talked about the darkest days of her teenage years in Long Beach. That was 20 years ago, but she remembered her suffering like it was yesterday.
What do the students in Freedom Writers have in common?
Freedom Writers On their first day of high school, Erin Gruwell's students had only three things in common: they hated school, they hated each other, and they hated her. But all of that changed when they discovered the power of telling their stories.
Is Freedom Writers’ portrait of the school really that bad?
Rudy claims that the portrait of the school in Freedom Writers, one that showed a dangerous and gang-filled school with graffiti and large fights all the time, have people asking Rudy whether the school is “really that bad”.
How many teachers does the Freedom Writers Foundation train?
The Freedom Writers Foundation has trained over 700 teachers based in the United States, Canada, and 20 other countries. Despite the hard work, Erin feels like the United States has regressed in the battle against racial inequality.
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What happened to the real students from Freedom Writers?
0:002:21Original Freedom Writer speaks to youth - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd begin writing a new chapter in your life just as he did by age 16 Scott had lived in 26MoreAnd begin writing a new chapter in your life just as he did by age 16 Scott had lived in 26 different places lost his best friend to a brutal murder. And his father in jail.
Did the Freedom Writers Teacher get divorced?
Erin and her husband did divorce in real life, and for similar reasons. All the pain from her personal life just pushed her more to help her students graduate. And the more her dad saw this, the more he began to support her. Although Gruwell gave up a lot for The Freedom Writers, she also gained a lot.
Who died from the Freedom Writers?
Armand JonesArmand Jones, who plays Grant Rice, died in the lobby of a Denny's restaurant early on the morning of March 17. Mr. Jones was an ambitious, bright-eyed 18-year-old whose dreams of a career in entertainment were starting to come true with his role in the movie.
Why is Freedom Writers banned?
Banning of the book in schools Administrators objected to racial slurs and sexual content in portions of the book.
What happened to Maria from Freedom Writers?
0:0326:30Maria REYES on InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI'm ernie manouse coming up on this episode of interviews our conversation with real-life freedomMoreI'm ernie manouse coming up on this episode of interviews our conversation with real-life freedom writer maria. Reyes. Why do you still have hope that things will work out between the races.
Is Erin Gruwell remarried?
Scott CaseyErin Gruwell / Spouse (m. 1990–1994)
What student died in Freedom Writers?
Armand JonesThe film was dedicated to the memory of Armand Jones, who was killed after filming Freedom Writers. He was fatally shot at age 18 in Anaheim, California after a confrontation with a man who robbed Jones of a necklace in a Denny's restaurant.
What happened to Armand Jones?
Armand Jones, 18, was shot to death early March 12, 2006. He was an aspiring rap artist and actor.
How did Eva change in Freedom Writers?
Eva is one of the major characters that transforms the most throughout her journey because she has had a tough life as her father is a respected gang leader. As a result, she becomes a third-generation gang member.
What is Ms G husband attitude toward her teaching career?
What is Ms. G's husband's attitude toward her teaching career? His attitude is a bit envious and hostile. He feels incompetent because she's teaching students that society has deemed at risk.
How accurate is the movie Freedom Writers?
In real life, however, Erin Gruwell actually did do some great work at Woodrow Wilson High School (whose name a Change.org petition is now urging to change) in Long Beach, but real life is, of course, more ambiguous than the movie. Gruwell did a lot of good with her student, but other teachers in the school did too.
Why did the students decide to call themselves the Freedom Writers?
1. Explain Why did the students decide to call themselves The Freedom Writers? Because in honor of the Freedom Riders who fought for intolerance and segregation.
Why did Erin create the Freedom Writers Foundation?
Erin created the Foundation to spread the message about issues teenagers face in high school.
Who encouraged students to record their personal lives in journals?
Erin ripped up the rule book and taught English her way. Instead of Shakespeare, students read The Diary of Anne Frank. Gruwell encouraged them to record their personal lives in journals, which excerpts would later form the New York Times Bestseller, The Freedom Writers Diary .
Why does Erin feel like the teachers trained by the Foundation have far better chances of success than she did?
Erin feels like the teachers trained by the Foundation have far better chances of success than she did because they have help. She told PBS SoCal:
Did Ellen have dyslexia?
Ellen also had dyslexia, a fact missed by other teachers but quickly noticed by Erin. After the diagnosis, Sue’s grades and life improved. She’d been told that she wouldn’t make it to college, but Erin restored her self-belief.
What did Erin Gruwell's students hate?
On their first day of high school, Erin Gruwell's students had only three things in common: they hated school, they hated each other, and they hated her. But all of that changed when they discovered the power of telling their stories. Against all odds, all of 150 of them went on to graduate, become published authors, and start a world-wide movement to change the education system as we know it.
Who is Erin Gruwell?
Erin Gruwell is a teacher, an author, and the founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation. By fostering an educational philosophy that values and promotes diversity, Erin transformed her students' lives.
What about the millions of other classrooms out there whose stories go unheard?
What about the millions of other classrooms out there whose stories go unheard?
Who said that any large urban high school was going to have problems?
A Long Beach board member, Karin Polacheck, said that any large urban high school was going to have problems, but that Gruwell probably overstated its problems. Polacheck was more understanding of the fact that some of Gruwell’s students had been exposed to gangs, and that the film wasn’t dependent on that.
What did Erin Gruwell say about self promotion?
In defense of the critique of being too self-promotional, Gruwell said that it was attention forced upon her in the media as a catalyst for education reform. She said that she would be profiting from self-promotion if she were, but she hadn’t. Erin Gruwell in 2015 — From Erin Gruwell on Wikipedia Commons.
Why do some teachers get jealous of Gruwell?
Beard thinks that the reason why some teachers got jealous is that Gruwell and her students received widespread media attention and got lucky.
Why was the department head reluctant to give Gruwell’s students full versions of books like The Diary of Anne Frank?
The depiction of the department head in the film was reluctant to give Gruwell’s students full versions of books like The Diary of Anne Frank and Romeo and Juliet because she thought kids might lose and damage the books.
Where did Wilson High take place?
Today, many students from the school come from the Eastside of Long Beach, where there are students with waterfront mansions and pools.
Did Erin Gruwell work at Woodrow Wilson?
In real life, however, Er in Gruwell actually did do some great work at Woodrow Wilson High School (whose name a Change.org petition is now urging to change) in Long Beach, but real life is, of course, more ambiguous than the movie. Gruwell did a lot of good with her student, but other teachers in the school did too. She was the only one that got mass media attention, and it’s not like she didn’t deserve it, but other teachers deserved it too.
Who is the author of Freedom Writers?
For other uses, see Freedom Writers (disambiguation). Freedom Writers is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey and Mario . It is based on the 1999 book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell and students who compiled the book out ...
How much did Freedom Writers gross?
Freedom Writers had a domestic gross of $36,605,602 and had a foreign gross of $6,485,139 bringing the movie to a total gross of $43,090,741 worldwide. On the film's opening weekend it grossed a total of $9,405,582 ranking 4th behind Children of Men (3rd), The Pursuit of Happyness (2nd), and Night at the Museum (1st).
Who plays Erin Gruwell in Woodrow Wilson High School?
In 1994 in Long Beach, California, Erin Gruwell ( Hilary Swank) has been accepted to teach English for at-risk students at Woodrow Wilson High School —a once highly acclaimed school that has declined since voluntary integration had been enforced and where racial tension has increased since the Los Angeles riots two years prior. Erin struggles to form a connection with her students and observes numerous fights between some of them, who are in rival gangs .
What is the movie Freedom Riders based on?
The movie is also based on the DC program called City at Peace. The title of the movie and book is a play on the term " Freedom Riders ," referring to the multiracial civil rights activists who tested the U.S. Supreme Court decision ordering the desegregation of interstate buses in 1961.
Where is Freedom Writers Diary based?
It is based on the 1999 book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell and students who compiled the book out of real diary entries about their lives that they wrote in their English class at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California.
Who made the documentary Erin Gruwell?
The idea for the film came from journalist Tracey Durning, who made a documentary about Erin Gruwell for the ABC News program Primetime Live. Durning served as co-executive producer of the film. The film was dedicated to the memory of Armand Jones, who was killed after filming Freedom Writers.
Is Freedom Writers a good book?
Freedom Writers has received mostly positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes provides links to 126 reviews, 70% of which are positive. The critical consensus is that " Freedom Writers is a frank, formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank leading the appealing cast of unknowns." Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 64/100 based on 29 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
What is the movie Freedom Writers about?
Freedom Writers is a film about modern-day Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses in the early 60s to test the US Supreme Court’s decision to desegregate buses. The Freedom Writers were students inspired by their pioneering teacher to embrace racial integration.
How long did it take Richard LaGravenese to write the Freedom Writers Diary?
It took writer and director Richard LaGravenese six years to craft a narrative from The Freedom Writers Diary’s entries. From that story, he created the inspiring film Freedom Writers.
Who encouraged her students to journal their experiences?
Erin encouraged her students to journal their experiences, bringing them closer together. Excerpts from the journals feature in The Freedom Writers Diary . Erin talked to PBS SoCal about how she got her students to share their journal entries:
How did Gruwell's approach work?
Gruwell’s approach worked as the students learned of the power of personal storytelling. They also learned of the destructive potential of racial stereotypes and the ruin racial wars had brought upon the world.
What is the epilogue to Freedom Writers?
Hard Epilogue to ‘Freedom Writers’: A Violent Death. Hollywood endings aren’t always simple. Not one of the 150 disadvantaged high school students Erin Gruwell started teaching more than a decade ago in Long Beach, Calif., has been killed in street violence. Many have gone on to college and graduate school.
Who is the casting director of Freedom Writers?
Jones by phone on Wednesday, the day before the movie’s premiere. “There were 1,500 people at his funeral,” Ms. Simkin said. When she and Richard LaGravenese, the writer and director of “Freedom Writers,” first watched the movie’s promotional trailer a few months ...
Why was Jason Finn shot?
Two years before getting the part of Marcus Jefferson, Jason Finn, now 20, was shot by a stranger because, Mr. Finn speculated, he was wearing basketball shorts with a gang color not welcome in the neighborhood he was in.
Was the Denny's shooting related to the Jones shooting?
Police officials said the three shootings were not related. No arrests have been made in Mr. Jones’s death, said Rick Martinez, an Anaheim police spokesman.
Did Finn have a teacher like Gruwell?
In high school, Mr. Finn said, he had never had a teacher like Ms. Gruwell, who helped her students focus on achieving high goals. The movie came along, and he found that focus.
When did Freedom Writers graduate?
All 150 of the Freedom Writers went on to graduate in 1998 and their stories were published in a book called The Freedom Writers Diary, which became a New York Times Bestseller and was adapted into the feature film Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank.
Why did the Freedom Writers Foundation start?
They created the Freedom Writers Foundation to help educators reproduce the success of Room 203 in classrooms around the world.
How long is the Freedom Writers training program?
The Training Program includes a 5-day intensive workshop led by Erin Gruwell that helps educators of all subjects and grade levels focus on the humanity of every student. Through keynote speeches by Erin and the Original Freedom Writers, the Outreach Program improves classroom attendance, increases student and employee engagement, and fosters inclusive campus atmospheres. The Scholarship Program provides support for first-generation college students who have remarkable academic promise despite tremendous adversity.
How did Erin transform her students?
By fostering an educational philosophy that values and promotes diversity, Erin transformed her students’ lives. She encouraged them to re-think rigid beliefs about themselves and others, reconsider their own daily decisions, and ultimately, re-chart their future. With Erin’s support, they chose to forego teenage pregnancy, drugs, and violence in order to become aspiring college students, published authors, and catalysts for change.
What is the Freedom Writers Methodology?
On the Record uses the Freedom Writers Methodology to improve students’ reading and writing skills, as well as the quality of their lives. Erin continues to fight for equality in education and inspires teachers and students all over the world with her work.
What did Erin Gruwell's students hate?
On their first day of high school, Erin Gruwell’s students had three things in common: they hated school, they hated each other, and they hated her. But all of that changed when they discovered the power of telling their stories. Against all odds, all 150 of them went on to graduate, became published authors, and started a world-wide movement to change the education system as we know it.
What is Erin's teaching method?
Erin’s teaching methods from her time in Room 203 have been published in her powerful call to arms Teach With Your Heart, as well as The Freedom Writers Diary Teacher’s Guide.