The Freedom Writers Diary - Erin Gruwell [118]
Since Europe was over a year away, the kids’ education took precedence. The Freedom Writers began college in the fall of 1998. Some attended community colleges, while others went to major universities in states that stretched all the way from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Though their college plans led them in different directions, their common goal remained the same. As to be expected, the first semester was overwhelming for some and liberating for others. The Freedom Writers had to learn how to adapt to dorm life, avoid the “freshman fifteen,” and perfect the art of cramming. Between juggling part-time jobs and studying for midterms, they could barely keep afloat.
Without the comfort of Room 203, they had to adjust to new environments and their newfound freedom. Initially the transition was difficult. Room 203 wasn’t just a classroom, it was home, a safe haven. I realized that in order for them to grow, they had to branch out and explore new ground. Some took off from the gate running, yet others took baby steps through uncharted territory. Regardless of how fast or slow the pace, each Freedom Writer was moving forward in his or her own way.
Not only are they still moving forward, they’re pulling others along too. Mothers, fathers, relatives who went astray, and friends who lost their way. The Freedom Writers also hold sacred the memories of those robbed of of a long life. One of those is Anne Frank. So whenever the pressure seemed too intense and it seemed that they were about to fall, they remembered Anne’s words.
.. we have the opportunity to get an education and make something of ourselves. We have many reasons to hope for great happiness, but we have to earn it. And that is something you can’t achieve by taking the easy ways out. Earning happiness means doing good and working, not speculating and being lazy.
—ANNE FRANK, July 6, 1944
Anne’s words also inspired me because I too left the safety of Room 203 and said goodbye to Wilson High. I became a “freshman” professor at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) as a “Distinguished Teacher in Residence.” My new position entailed sharing the lessons of the Freedom Writers with future teachers. Ensuring that there will be other 203’s and extended families like the Freedom Writers so that our experience will not be the exception but the norm. Being new to CSULB made me emphathetic to the Freedom Writers’ insecurities and what they were going through at colleges. But I was committed to be there for them whether they stumbled or succeeded.
As in the past, others joined our journey along the way. Days before the second college semester began, we met the civil rights’ activist Harry Belafonte, who was motivated to meet us after seeing the Freedom Writers on television. His tales about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and the Freedom Riders encouraged us to be more than just tourists on our impending trip to Europe. He told us about the training and preparation the Freedom Riders took before they headed across America in a bus. He made us realize that if we were planning to embark on a symbolic trip, that we too must be prepared. Suddenly, our trip took on a new tone. Since Mr. Belafonte was a dedicated supporter of the Freedom Riders, he challenged us not to talk the talk, but to walk the walk.
Mr. Belafonte’s words were like a starter gun. We realized that the Freedom Writers was more than just a name. The Freedom Riders, Mr. Belafonte explained, risked their lives to benefit the civil rights of human kind. If we were truly going to emulate the Freedom Riders, then our writing must transcend the walls of Room 203