![]() It became a friend, the paper that it was made of was ready and willing to accept anything and everything I had to say it could handle my fear, my questions, my sadness. When the Bosnian war started with all its horrors and disrupted my happy and carefree childhood, my diary became more than a place to record daily events. ![]() But when misfortune comes our way, we find ourselves surprised, confused, scared, angry and sad. These things seemed too impossible to think about, because it’s human nature to always believe that “bad” things happen to other people, not us. I also never dreamed that my childhood would be cut short. I never imagined that my diary would be published, and certainly didn’t expect it to become a war diary. Some of my older girlfriends had their own diaries, and having read the diaries of Anne Frank and Adrian Mole, I was absolutely certain that writing a diary was the right thing to do. I wanted to see myself grow through my writing. I started writing my own diary before the war in Bosnia because I wanted to have a place to record my childhood and create something that I could look back on and laugh, cry and reminisce. I am immensely proud and happy to have had a chance to meet them and to play some role in their “growth” as human beings. They chose to rid themselves of doing things the easy way, the way they’ve always been done, and chose to write, to create, to fight stereotypes and live up to the name of true Freedom Writers. They had organized themselves and chose to do something different, something memorable, something powerful and humane. These students and their teacher, Erin Gruwell, chose to read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, my own book, Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo (and many other books), and were inspired to start writing their own diaries. They were teenagers just like me, and like all young people all over the world, they have an amazing potential to grow into truly great people, leaders, ones who will inspire others. When I met them, I was touched by their warmth and kindness. I met the students of Wilson High School in March 1996, when thanks to their dedication, effort and will, they invited my parents, Mirna (my best friend from Bosnia, who was living with me at the time) and myself to come to the city of Long Beach, California. When I was asked to write the foreword to The Freedom Writers Diary, I must say I was extremely honored and proud, but at the same time amazed by how many wonderful things can happen in such a short time. “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire” Secretary Riley receives Freedom Writers’ diary Lincoln Memorial: Freedom Writers have a dream The woman who sheltered Anne Frank’s familyĪn American DiaryVoices from an Undeclared War Through its eye-opening and inspiring stories, Dear Freedom Writer paints an unflinchingly honest portrait of today’s youth and offers a powerful message of perseverance, understanding, and hope.Farewell to Manzanar: Japanese internment camps 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 people who have dealt with these same issues and come out on the other side. Each story is answered with a letter of advice from an original Freedom Writer. In Dear Freedom Writer, the next generation of Freedom Writers shares their struggles with abuse, racism, discrimination, poverty, mental health, imposed borders, LGBTQIA+ identity, and police violence. They want to be heard they want to be seen. Their stories speak to young people who feel as if those around them do not care about their lives, their feelings, and their struggles. Together, they co-authored The Freedom Writers Diary, which launched a movement that remains incredibly relevant and impactful today. Inspired by books like Anne Frank’s diary, her students began writing their own diaries, eventually dubbing themselves the Freedom Writers. Instead of treating them as scores on a test, she understood that each of them had a unique story to tell. ![]() ![]() Over twenty years ago, Erin Gruwell’s first-ever class of high school students in Long Beach, California was labeled “unteachable”-but she saw past that. The students of today tell their stories of adversity and growth in letters to the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of The Freedom Writers Diary-featuring powerful responses from the original Freedom Writers.
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