Freedom Writer Visits

Maybe you have read the New York Times Best Seller, The Freedom Writers Diary, or maybe you saw the movie that came out in 2007. It is a true story is about a determined teacher and her “unteachable, at-risk” students. Erin Gruwell is the inspiring teacher and writer, along with her students, of The Freedom Writers Diary. She was portrayed by Hilary Swank in the movie, The Freedom Writers.

Erin Gruwell will be in Independence on Thursday, Feb. 26^th. This pleasant surprise is the result of a situation that garnered the Independence Community a lot of negative attention when a woman who recently moved to Independence was arrested for stealing The Freedom Writers Diary. She had checked out the book from a nearby library and, despite numerous notices, failed to return the book or pay for it. She was arrested and taken to jail. The story received national attention, even being mentioned on CNN, Fox News, and David Lettermen. People heard Independence mentioned and mistakenly thought that the woman had checked the book out from the Independence Public Library.

Erin Gruwell, the author, called the Independence High School to find out more about the situation, because she was also getting increased attention with the story of the arrest and her stolen book. Gruwell graciously offered to come to Independence and meet with students and the community at her own expense. The Freedom Writers Diary author is making time for a visit to Independence between other obligations in her busy schedule. She will be spending the afternoon of Feb. 26^th at the Independence High School and will then be at the Independence Public Library for a program from 4:30-6:00 pm.

Following is a synopsis of The Freedom Writer’s Diary and the story of dedicated teacher Erin Gruwell.

As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the “Freedom Writers” in homage to the civil rights activists “The Freedom Riders.”

You will be able to see the story yourself at the library’s movie showing the day before Erin Gruwell’s visit. Showings will be at 1:30 pm and 6:30 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 25^th in the Library’s Community Room.

Thursday, February 26^th, Gruwell will spend time with students at the high school during the afternoon. There will be a student assembly which is open to the public at 2:00 pm in the high school gym. Beginning at 4:30 pm, she will give a presentation in the Independence Public Library’s Community Room. From 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Gruwell will be available for a book signing, also at the library. The public is invited to the library for the presentation and book signing by Erin Gruwell, bestselling author of The Freedom Writers Diary. If you have questions, please call the Independence Public Library at 319-334-2470 or visit www.indylibrary.org.

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