Freedom Writers Page #7

if you wanted to drop by.

We haven't even ordered dessert yet,

and the kids are having

such an incredible time.

You have to see them.

If you get in soon, come by.

It's only 9:
30 now.

Okay, I'll see you later. Love you. Bye.

How many times

I gotta tell your ass again?

Get your butt in here!

So, you had all summer

to read and consider this book.

And you know,

I thought it would be most valuable

To begin with Victoria

to give us the black perspective.

Victoria?

Do I have a stamp

on my forehead that says,

"The National Spokesperson

for the Plight of Black People"?

How the hell should I know the black

perspective on The Color Purple?

That's it, if I don't change classes,

I'm gonna hurt this fool.

Teachers treat me like

I'm some kind of Rosetta stone

for African-Americans.

What? Black people learn how to read,

and we all miraculously come

to the same conclusion?

At that point, I decided to check out

my friend Brandy's English class.

- Good to see you, man.

- Hey, yeah.

- How was your summer?

- Great.

You're still white, I see.

Okay, everybody. Ready?

- Hey, Ms. G.

- Hi.

- Hi, Ms. G.

- Hi.

Okay, guys, gals, listen up!

This is what I want you to do.

I want each of you to step forward

and take one of these Borders bags,

Which contain the four books

we're gonna read this semester.

All right!

They're very special books,

And they each remind me,

in some way, of each of you.

But, before you take the books,

I want you to take one of these glasses

of sparkling cider,

And I want each of you to make a toast.

We're each gonna make

a toast for change.

And what that means is,

from this moment on

Every voice that told you

"You can't" is silenced.

Every reason that tells you things

will never change, disappears.

And the person you were

before this moment,

That person's turn is over.

Now it's your turn.

Okay?

Okay, you ready to get

this party going on?

- What?

- Stop doing that, man.

What's the dealio?

Man, I've had boyfriends since I was,

like, 11, you know.

- I believe you.

- Shut up.

Okay, well, I was always the person

That was gonna get pregnant

before I turned 16 and drop out.

Like my mom.

Ain't gonna happen.

Nobody ever listens to a teenager.

Everybody thinks you should be happy

just because you're young.

They don't see the wars

that we fight every single day.

And one day, my war will end.

And I will not die.

And I will not tolerate abuse

from anyone.

I am strong.

My moms kicked me out

when I got jumped into the gang life.

But I'd like her to see me graduate.

I'd like to be 18.

Ms. G?

Can I read something from my diary?

That'd be great.

Who is he?

Man, he's been with us

from freshman year, fool.

- What's his name?

- I don't know.

"This summer was the worst summer

in my short 14 years of life.

"It all started with a phone call.

"My mother was crying and begging,

"asking for more time as if she were

gasping for her last breath of air.

"She held me as tight

as she could and cried.

"Her tears hit my shirt like bullets

and told me we were being evicted.

"She kept apologizing to me.

I thought, 'I have no home.

"'I should have asked for something

less expensive at Christmas. '

"On the morning of the eviction,

a hard knock on the door woke me up.

"The sheriff was there to do his job.

"I looked up at the sky,

waiting for something to happen.

"My mother has no family to lean on,

no money coming in.

"Why bother coming to school

or getting good grades if I'm homeless?

"The bus stops in front of the school.

I feel like throwing up.

"I'm wearing clothes from last year,

some old shoes and no new haircut.

"I kept thinking I'd get laughed at.

"Instead, I'm greeted

by a couple of friends

"who were in my English class last year.

"And it hits me, Mrs. Gruwell,

"my crazy English teacher

from last year,

"is the only person

that made me think of hope.

"Talking with friends

about last year's English and our trips,

"I began to feel better.

"I receive my schedule and the first

teacher is Mrs. Gruwell in Room 203.

"I walk into the room and feel as though

"all the problems in life

are not so important anymore.

"I am home. "

Yes, you are.

But you're an honors student.

If you transfer to Ms. Gruwell's class,

Think how that will reflect

on your records.

It doesn't matter to me.

My grades will still be the same.

Look, Ms. Campbell.

When I first transferred to the school,

I had a 4.0 average.

But when I applied for advanced

placement at English and Math,

I was told it would be better for me

to be in a class with my own kind.

Now, when I did get in, my teacher said,

"Victoria, it's not every day one finds

an African-American student

"in A. P. And honors courses. "

As if I didn't notice.

And when I asked

another honors teacher

Why we don't read more

black literature, she said,

"We don't read black literature

because of all the sex,

"drugs, cussing and fornication!"

I thought a simple "It's inappropriate"

would have sufficed.

Erin can't do that!

Distinguished Honor Students are mine.

She's not allowed to teach them.

She's only been here a year.

The student requested it.

And Gruwell has got Cohn

in her back pocket.

What gets me is they're violent, they

break laws, they destroy school property

And in the end we make them special.

We reward them like...

I just don't see what that teaches them.

Hi! Sorry I'm late.

Did you eat? I'm ordering in.

Are you hungry?

What question do you want me

to answer first?

Did I eat or am I hungry?

I ate. I'm not hungry.

Something really cool happened today.

I got an honors student.

- Congratulations.

- Isn't that great?

She actually requested my class.

Can you teach an honors student?

What do you mean?

Well, I mean, you're used

to teaching your kind of kids.

Can you teach somebody who's smart?

Of course I can.

Yeah, but it's not like you have, right?

I mean, you don't really teach

what everybody else teaches.

My kids' grades are up to B's.

Yeah, but the point is,

that's according to you.

It's not like they're really learning

what normal kids have to learn.

Normal kids? Yes, they are.

They're reading

The Diary of Anne Frank.

They're learning vocabulary,

grammar, writing, poetry.

All right. Okay, I apologize. Sorry.

Congratulations.

What is wrong with you?

You know, at Deb's party,

I heard you telling people

That I was an architect

and that my job was temporary.

I want you to stop that, all right?

I like my job.

Fine.

You're the one who said

you were gonna be an architect.

Yeah, four years ago,

before we got married.

What, I'm gonna go back to school now

For two years and intern for three?

I'll be over 40.

All right. I thought you still wanted it.

It doesn't matter if I want it, Erin.

It doesn't mean it's going to happen.

Why not?

"Writing in a diary is a really strange

experience for someone like me.

"I mean, not only because

I've never written anything before,

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