Dear Freedom Writer /T

More than two decades ago, 150 high school students from Long Beach, California, were labelled "unteachable," but first-year teacher Erin Gruwell believed that people could rewrite their futures. Inspired by books like Anne Frank's diary, her students began writing their own diaries, eventually dubbing themselves the "Freedom Writers." Together, they co-authored The Freedom Writers Diary, which launched a movement that remains more relevant and impactful than ever. Generations of students across the country have seen themselves in the stories of these kids from Long Beach. These stories peak to young people who are fed up with adults who know nothing about their lives, their feelings, and their struggles. They want to be heard; they want to be seen. In Dear Freedom Writer, the next generation of Freedom Writers share their struggles with abuse, racism, discrimination, poverty, mental health, imposed borders, LGBTQIA+ identity, and police violence. Each story is answered with a message of encouragement from an original Freedom Writer. Writing with empathy and honesty, they answer these young people not with the platitudes of a politician or celebrity, but with the pragmatic advice of someone who has dealt with these same issues and come out on the other side. By turns eye-opening and inspiring, Dear Freedom Writer paints an unflinchingly honest portrait of today's youth and offers a powerful message of perseverance, understanding, and hope.