Truly Inspiring

Inspire, to me, is one of the most beautiful verbs imaginable.

The feeling of being inspired is some sort of genuine, indisputable beauty. When I think of “inspiration”, I picture the warmest, softest, brightest glow of light shining upon me. I visualize this ray of pure radiance gliding through my veins and seeping into my mind. I feel it entering my heart with the brilliance of sunshine and the immaculacy of moonbeams. So many things in life inspire me, touch me and change me. I am grateful to say that The Freedom Writers Diary is one of them.

This is the heartbreakingly true story of 150 “at risk” teens struggling to survive poverty, drugs, gangs and countless other horrors in their lives, lives which are caught in a ruthless battle. In the presence of racial discrimination, the indifference of authorities and the constant reminder from the society that they won’t make it…hope seems like the only thing they can hold on to. Then they meet Erin Gruwell, a young, passionate English teacher, determined to give them the education they deserve. Through an incredible series of events, these students undergo remarkable change and truly turn their lives around. They learn to fight violence and inequality with the power of a pen, instead of a gun. They learn to find strength and courage through each other, despite difference in skin color. They learn that they have the power to change the world! This book is an anonymous collection of the students’ journal entries, written throughout their metamorphoses from shunned “at risk” teens to a group of strong, amazing writers. Their journey, though tumultuous and ridden with heartache, is a glorious one.

The Freedom Writers Diary is raw, gritty and extremely thought-provoking. It was heartbreaking to read about the horrors they encountered, and it was even more tragic to know that these people were so young, yet had already suffered so much. I was so moved when reading about their tenacity in the face of adversity, and even more so watching them realize the value of themselves and each other. One of my favorite things about this book is its emphasis on diversity and tolerance. In the beginning, race was so important to the students that they always sat in segregation and couldn’t get along with each other at all. Slowly, through lessons about the Holocaust, the war in Bosnia and countless other examples, they learned to see beyond skin color, and instead focus on the significance of what being a human being means. I think that the fact that they could transform their attitudes despite everything they’d been through is a true inspiration, and sends such an important message! It’s ironic when you consider how so many people had labeled these kids as “stupid” and “hopeless”, yet they were the ones who couldn’t even grasp the concepts of tolerance and racial equality. We live in such a broad, diverse world, but our narrow mindsets keep us from embracing the infinite beauty life has to offer. The Freedom Writers Diary schools us in such a basic and important lesson that pitifully, many people in our society today are still unable to understand.

Another wonderful thing this book embodies is the omnipotent power of words! Through writing, many of the students began to feel more empowered and confident; they felt like they finally had a voice! I hope that this book motivates people to write more, to whisper life into words and to pour their hearts out! The enticing magic of writing and the irrepressible exhilaration that comes with weaving your thoughts into words are what make writing so beautiful and strong. Writing has been a great love of mine since a young age, and is such an important creative and emotional outlet for me. I believe that when writing comes from your soul, it really does have the strength to change the world. Let your words sing the song that you’ve hidden in the depths of your heart for so long, and let them inspire people like the Freedom Writers did. I sincerely encourage everyone to read The Freedom Writers Diary, to feel its heart-touching poignancy and to be genuinely inspired!