The Freedom Writers Diary - Erin Gruwell [75]
Kids these days have the chance to dream about what they want to be and want to change. It’s the changes that affect people’s lives for either good or bad. Unfortunately, Dr. Mengele took so many people’s chances from them when he took “change” into his own hands. Taking dreams away is the problem, making them happen is the solution. Unfortunately, those twins never had a chance to dream the same dream we are making come true…change.
Diary 87
Dear Diary,
The big day is here. I can’t believe this is my fourth day here in Washington, D.C., and I am actually meeting Secretary of Education Richard Riley. It has been a long day and there is still more to come. We’ve just got back from visiting a couple of museums and getting a tour of the Capitol. This has been the longest and most exciting day of my life.
What am I going to wear? I have to look nice for tonight’s dinner. This is the most important night of all. The people from the Marriott even had a rehearsal for us. I never realized how important this man really is. Now I know that he represents a lot in education. I wonder what he looks like. Is he young or old? Either way, I know I should never judge a book by its cover, like Ms. G taught me. “He has to be a really important and educated man to be the Secretary of Education,” I said to myself. I can’t wait to meet him. He will probably be surprised when he sees all of us, a diverse group of teenagers in front of him. I hope he gets excited when he finds out that we came all this way to hand-deliver a copy of our book to him. I also hope he can help us pursue our future education.
“This is going to be a boring night, you know, long speeches on things I don’t even know or understand. This is for grownups, what am I doing here?” I said to myself at the beginning of the dinner. Richard Riley said, “You are the future leaders, don’t give up,” His words really got my attention. I couldn’t believe he was the Secretary of Education. I imagined him differently. I thought he would be stuck up like all those other important people, but I was wrong. He’s cool. I didn’t think he would tell us about his life, but he did. He talked about his life and how he relates to some of us. He told us about all the struggles that he had to overcome to become who he is today. I can’t believe I’m here, only five feet away from the most important man in education. Hopefully he will take a good look at us and realizes that it will only take a few of his words to change our future. He seems like he’s moved by what we have accomplished.
He made me realize that with education you can become whoever you want. He made me see things from a very different perspective. “I hope one day I can become someone important like Richard Riley,” I said to myself while he was walking away. Tonight has been a really good experience. I even got a rose from my date, which was very exciting. Hopefully many nights like this will come, but for tonight the memories will stay in my heart forever.
Diary 88
Dear Diary,
This is the poem I wrote that Ms. G asked me to read to Richard Riley at the dinner. I couldn’t believe that I was sitting at the head table with all the big shots. I sat next to Ms. G’s parents. Her stepmom, Karen, held my hand because I was so nervous. When I finished reading the poem, I got a standing ovation.
Stand
Stay Black—
Stay Proud
Stay White—
Stay Proud
Stay Brown—
Stay Proud
Stay Yellow
Stay Proud…
Don’t be afraid to be what you are,
’cause all you can be, is you!
You’ll never be anything else but you,
so be the best you, you can be.
Keep it real—
by all means,
at all times.
Whether a lawyer, a doctor, a football player,
a toilet cleaner, a garbage handler, a panhandler—
keep it real
and still—
be the best you can be.
Have pride, have dignity, stand!
Stand proud, talk proud, act proud, be proud!
Don’t lay down,
back down,
bow down,
run away,
sell out yourself,
sell into criticism.
Be real and realize