The Freedom Writers Erin Gruwell with Zlata Filipovich

When different cultures come together, beauty is inevitable- Erin Gruwell

Stuart & I had the immense pleasure and honor to meet two incredible human beings. First we traveled to Ljubljana, Slovenia to meet and interview Zlata Filipovich, writer of #1 Bestseller Zlata´s Diary and Stolen Voices.

Zlata shares her experiences in war torn Sarajevo, growing up in a multi-cultural city and receiving 150 letters from the Freedom Writers inviting her to California.

We then traveled to Santa Monica, California to meet and interview Erin Gruwell, The author of The Freedom Writers Diary which was made into a film starring Hilary Swank, Teaching Hope and several other books. Erin speaks so clearly, intelligently and passionately about the rewards and challenges that teachers face. How we must remember the past so that we do not repeat atrocities, how idealists can change the world, how every child matters, how she was a teacher and how she learned from her students, how we can coexist with other cultures in a constructive and rewarding way.

According to Erin Gruwell, "It was Zlata´s book that inspired her students the most because they identified with this young girl who was the same age as them".

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• erin gruwell
• zlata filipovich
• the freedom writers
• freedom rides
• freedom writers
• hilary swank
• martin luther king
• miep gies
• war
• anne frank
• bosnian war

[fairsoulfilms]

hey, thanks for the beautiful comments. Erin and Zlata rock and they truly are wonderful people

[Baraquiel62]

great book greetings from Mexico City!!

[knightschwartz]

@GABRIELJACMEL ha. you think anyone who doesn't think like this chick is allowed a job in the goverment school system? These are not school these are gov. indoctrination centers. All liberals, all diversity worshippers who love the third world tidal wave. No other views are allowed. That would be "hate speech" to think any other way at these "schools".

[GABRIELJACMEL]

@knightschwartz ........I think people who are involve in education and think like you is what making the public school system unbalance.

[knightschwartz]

@GABRIELJACMEL i'm confused. you think public schools are doing a bad job. I do too.

[GABRIELJACMEL]

I have personally met alot of Erin Gruwell she is just fortunate enough to had her story become public. What Erin Gruwell had done is left a positive paradigm, to conjure the consciousness of educator's. The resources are not the problem, it is the dedication, adminstration, and politic's that is breaking the back bone of education in this country.

[GABRIELJACMEL]

@knightschwartz <---white teacher's who were in the same school for 10 year's and more. With full tenure, when the school had a 69% dropout rate. They were screaming bloody murder, and were is my union rep. Guess what, they did not get rehired at all and some were not even reinstated in the board of education of Rhode Island due to POOR PERFORMANCE. They were recieving a pay rate of 70k to 90k a year, and was not teaching those minority children a DAM FUCKEN THING. SO GO FUCK YOURSELF!!!!

[GABRIELJACMEL]

@knightschwartz <---The real problem is that you truly believe in your own BULLSHIT. Roots and Amistad are legitimate and authentic legacies that are part of the AMERICAN HISTORY, SO GET A FUCKEN GRIP!!! If parent's truly care about your kid's, you will teach them real history, that is not being taught in school. I firmly believe the urban school will have more success, to hire people who come from the community. Not, too long ago Rhode Island Superintenden fired all these non caring

[GABRIELJACMEL]

@knightschwartz <---Wow your comment is completely backward's and assinine. They way you spell I can clearly see that you lack serious education. There is nothing wrong with what Erin Gruwell had done with those student's. Success is not only for WHITE PEOPLE, SO WAKE THE FUCK UP LOSER. It is people like you who want to see minorities fail, so you can lean on the failing image to spit your racist venom. It is white people like you, who have a very hard time with legitimate competition.

[knightschwartz]

Wow this women reminds me of the women who run US public schools. PC garbarge, diversity, self-esteem, soft bullshit wasting kids times. Goverment indoctrination centers. If you care about your kids take them out if you can. All they are doing is being shown "Roots" and doing MLK worship. If they are succeful your kids will hate you if your white and learn to hate themselves.

[charlesmyshkin]

I'm french and I was so moved when I watched the movie and read the book,those are so powerful.I'm sometimes s sad of human weaknesses and immorality,That's a great message of hope.Actually,here in France there is an association,students from high school meet children to help them with their work and to improve their days in unsafe suburbs they live in.freedom's writers inspires me and I'm going to share all this with others students,in order to make a difference for those children.so thx for al