Freedom Writers Page #2

all of them divided into

separate sections, depending on tribes.

There's Little Cambodia.

The Ghetto.

Wonder Bread Land.

And us,

South of the Border or Little Tijuana.

That's just the way it is,

and everyone knows it.

But soon enough, you have little

wannabes trying to hit you up at school,

demanding respect they haven't earned.

It looks like this, one tribe drifting

quietly to another's territory

without respect,

as if to claim what isn't theirs.

An outsider looking in

would never see it, but we could feel it.

Something was coming.

Settle down.

Let's go over the first name

on the list, Homer.

Homer's The Odyssey.

I know Homer the Simpson.

No, this Homer was an ancient Greek,

but maybe he was bald

just like Homer Simpson.

Okay.

What's up?

Quietly, please.

Mrs. Gruwell,

he just took my damn bag!

Shut up!

Ain't nobody touched your damn bag.

Yeah, I saw you.

Jamal. Jamal. Get her backpack.

I didn't do nothing anyway!

- Jamal. Jamal.

- Okay.

Wait! Wait! Please, stay in your seats!

Wait! Stay in your seats! Please!

Slanty-eyed b*tch!

Return to your classrooms.

Return to the classrooms immediately.

That's all you got?

Clear the school lawn

and the recreation field now!

...classrooms, or you will be subject

to disciplinary action.

You can best help yourself

and your fellow students

and your school by returning

to your classrooms now.

Please return to your classrooms.

Get up, b*tch!

All students must return

to their classrooms immediately.

Erin?

Erin.

Hey, baby.

You okay?

Come here.

Are you sure about this?

Well, it's not exactly how I pictured it.

Don't tell my dad.

Hopefully, he hasn't seen the news.

- So, how's work?

- Dad.

- I was asking your husband.

- It's good. I mean, for now.

It's a good company.

I pretty much run

the computer data department.

- I thought you were an architect.

- He is. He's just taking a break.

And the money's good for now.

How much are you making,

$27,000 before taxes?

If you know, why are you asking?

So, what's everybody gonna eat?

With your brains,

you could run a major corporation.

Instead, I worry all night

because you're a teacher at Attica.

Can you hear what you're saying?

How many times have I listened to you

about walking civil rights marches?

These gangs are criminals,

not activists. You read the papers?

They said the same thing

about the Black Panthers.

I'll lay odds your kids don't even know

who Rap Brown

or Eldridge Cleaver were.

You're gonna waste your talents

on people

who don't give a damn about education.

It breaks my heart.

I tell you the truth.

Well...

I'm sorry. I can't help that.

- You think this is good enough for her?

- Yeah, I do.

Look, Steve,

if Erin thinks she can teach these kids,

she can.

You telling her she can't

is just gonna make her mad.

So he doesn't like your job. So what?

Why do you let it get to you?

I don't know, it just does.

I'm not used to disappointing him. I...

Just let me know

when I can brush my teeth.

- I hate that we don't have our own sinks.

- Come in. There's room.

All right. Thank you.

I can't believe he brought up my salary.

What's happened to him?

He was like Atticus Finch to me

when I was growing up,

and now he's talking about salaries?

I think he's playing too much golf.

In fact, I think he needs an intervention.

Why isn't being a teacher

good enough for him?

Honey, just calm down.

You know, except for marrying me,

you never seriously disappoint him.

He worships you.

He likes you. He just doesn't...

He just doesn't think

I'm good enough for you, which is fine.

That's what fathers do.

I'm sure I'll be that way someday.

Look, just, you know, stop worrying

about being his perfect daughter.

You don't live in his house,

you live in ours.

Or until we find one.

- Or until you build us one.

- Yeah.

With extra sinks.

You're a teacher

because you say you are.

I have this idea.

We're gonna be covering poetry.

Who here likes Tupac Shakur?

It's 2Pac.

Raise your hand.

Really? I thought there'd be more fans.

I have the lyrics to this song printed out.

I want you to listen to this phrase

I have up on the board.

It's an example of an internal rhyme.

What he does is

very sophisticated and cool, actually.

"Man-child in the promised land

couldn't afford many heroes

"Moms was the only one there

Pops was a no-show

"And, no, I guess you didn't know

that I would grow to be so strong

"You looking kinda pale, was it the ale?

Oh, pops was wrong

"Where was the money that you said

you would send me?

"Talked on the phone

and you sounded so friendly"

- Think we don't know 2Pac?

- White girl gonna teach us about rap.

No, it's not that.

See, what I was trying to do...

You have no idea

what you're doing up there, do you?

You ever been a teacher before?

And teacher gets nailed, y'all!

All right, Jamal, enough.

Jamal! That's enough!

You know what? I want you to move

to this front seat right here now.

- What?

- Come on.

I am sick of these antics

in my classroom.

Well, there you are.

I was wondering when

you were gonna lose that damn smile.

Switch with Ben.

- Come on.

- I can't go back there alone.

- It'll be fine.

- No, it won't.

I'm not sitting near him.

I ain't going up there without my homey.

I'm not sitting back there alone!

- All right.

- Shut up.

All right, you know what?

I want you all to move

to this side of the room.

You in the back, up here.

Sindy and all of you, move to the back.

Come on. Let's go. Now!

Get your ass back to China, all of y'all.

- You're all little midget-ass punks.

- Move before I stomp your peanuts.

Boo!

Get your ass to the back, boy.

Get off my desk.

So, everybody happy

with the new borders?

Eva?

Where are you going?

Hey! Hey!

This is bull! Come on, man! What the...

What the hell? Damn!

I want my money back!

This sh*t took my damn money!

I want my damn money back!

Look what you putting me through. Sh*t!

Learn to speak the damn language!

You're from this country, aren't you?

I want my money back!

I want my money back!

I want my money back!

Come on! Let's go!

Come on, come on, girl! Let's go!

Paco was scared.

In the car, he said,

"You can't go against your own people,

your own blood. "

The same words

my father used so many times.

Only I saw Paco.

The others were turned away.

So when the police questioned me,

I knew I had to protect him.

All right, everyone, we need to get

started so classes won't be too delayed.

Principal Banning

would like to say something

in the light of last night's events.

I've spoken to the police.

As you might already know,

there were persons involved

in last night's shooting

who are Wilson students.

Grant Rice has been arrested

as a prime suspect.

Ms. Gruwell,

apparently one of your students,

Eva Benitez...

- Eva.

... has identified him as the shooter.

She's the prime witness in the case.

It is our policy not to discuss

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