Cited: The Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell. The Freedom Writers Diary. United States, New York: Broadway Books, 1999 Print.
Cited: The Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell. The Freedom Writers Diary. United States, New York: Broadway Books, 1999 Print.
Melba Beals was one of the nine African American students to go to an all white school. These events challenged her because she was facing lots of racial comments and actions. “Some of the white people looked totally horrified while others raised fists to us, others shouted ugly words” (Beals). People didn’t want her to go to school she wasn’t able to go for a few days. She felt proud for changing her society and showing people she can go to school. “I felt proud and sad at the same time. Proud that I lived in a country that would go this far to bring Justice to a little rock girl like me, but sad that they had to go to such great lengths” (Beals). Melba Beals had the courage as an African American student to go to a white school and in the path she changed her country and…
Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. a teacher in Riceville Iowa, Jane Elliot wanted to show her students what it means to discriminate against someone. They had just named Martin Luther King Jr. as their “Hero of the month” and no one could understand what would compel someone to assassinate someone so good. She wanted to let her students understand what it’s like to be discriminated against and what it was like to discriminate against people, letting the students experience both sides of these situations. Truly showing the evils that exist in everyone.…
I don't believe that America was truly free in this time. The " Separate but free" made it clear it wasn't. People were being told where to sit and where they couldn't sit because of the color of their skin. If America would have been truly free, laws like those wouldn't exist and people would be able to go about their day without the fear of being arrested because they sat in the wrong seat in the train. There was also no freedom towards colored people because every time they tried to use their rights, it was always twisted to make it seem like they were treated fairly even when they…
The main character was a English teacher went by the name of Mrs. Gruwell or Mrs. G received the at risk sophomore students for her first teaching job. Students who were consider incapable of learning, a waste in the educational system before the arrival of Mrs. G, no one in the school had any hope for that specific group of students to be successful in any aspect. while classes were co-ed with racial diversity. the entire school was divided by street and racial gangs which hindered the opportunity for teachers to develop a positive and healthy student teacher relationship. as Mrs. G was named the new teacher on campus she had barriers to overcome with the group abused by society because the entire class was affected by gang violence in some way either it be personally or to a friend or family member which caused the at risk sophomore to develop trust issues to temporary figures in their life. because in the movie freedom writers on the very first day of school after Mrs.G attempts to politely address the class and introduce herself she soon after entered an altercation with her students who explained to Mrs.G that she doesn't know anything about how they are living, the pain they have to deal with and how it is all about the color of your skin that dictates everything in their life, not what they learn in grammar class. After taking the first few days to breaking the ice between the teacher and the students they became more comfortable with Mrs.G expressing their feelings and life experiences through their diaries given to them by Mrs.G, opening a healthy link of communication between both roles. one day in class one of the students complained about how uninteresting the stories were which made it difficult to retain the appropriate information to succeed because the educational system hasn't been updated for centuries. As the…
America has tried to thrive as a free society. America has had little success, even though we are promised equal treatment under the law. Americans are aware that America needs to provide civil liberties within this nation to make America great. Justice, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is what citizens expect to have, but that is not always the case. Every citizen has a different view of freedom. America has not provided protection for every citizen’s individual rights by law from unjust governmental or other interference. Thus, Americans have fought and continue to fight for their civil liberties to improve their lives in America. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society.…
Did you know you have freedoms that not all people in other places have, and you can do what you want without worrying? Freedoms are special, that not all people in the world have. Veterans died for the freedom we have, a lot of people in the world don’t even know how lucky they are to have freedom, and freedom of speech allows the people in the U.S.A. to say what they want without worrying. You enjoy freedoms everyday without even knowing that you are using them.…
But to my surprise once I started reading the article One Friday in April 1968 I knew that this was going to be different then any thing I had read. So I allowed myself to fill what the writer was writing to try and fill what Jane Elliott had felt that day in April in 1968. As she prepared to face a group of 3rd grade students who happened, to be white and teach them about racism and discrimination something she hoped they would understand the rest of their lives.…
When people come to America and decide to live here one of the first things that they think of is that this is “the land of the free.” In reality, it is not so simple. A person’s freedom in America is limited by many different factors. Citizenship, gender, race, religion, class all play a part in how free one can be. We are not all equal. In recent years, this question of how free we should be has come up again and new limits to our freedoms have been created. After the World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists on September 11th, 2001, President Bush signed the Patriot Act six weeks later. In a state of panic, Congress rushed to give the government more power so that they could try to catch terrorists and protect the American people. However…
Michelle Alexander’s style of writing was specifically noticeable, as well as her introduction of the Cotton story and how he, his father, grandfather, and great grandfather were denied their right to vote. It allowed for readers to identify with racial issues, dating back to the era of Cotton’s great grandfather, up to…
However we aren’t the only country to have freedom; the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia are just some of the many other nations that also enjoy freedom. But the real question is, where do these rights end for an American? An American has their own voice, but the freedom of speech leads to the creation of stereotypes along with discrimination. This is where the concept of an American becoming a hypocrite kicks in. The idea of equality can never be made a reality with individuals treating each other the way they do now. The division among social groups whether it’s by race, religion, gender, economic status, or physical appearance, is unacceptable and the stereotypes only causes tension and for these groups to become more divided and separated from society as a whole. How can the United States boast its diversity, when the diversity of its people calls for tension and lead to a fragmented nation, and contradicts the name of the country itself? When will the American people become united once again just as they did during the Revolutionary…
Freedom is defined as the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement. It is the power to determine action without restraint and the exemption from external control, interference, and regulation. Americans, these days, commonly regard their society as the freest and the best in the world. Their understanding of freedom has been shaped and based upon the founding fathers’ belief that all people are equal and that the role of the government is to protect each person’s basic “inalienable” rights. The United States Constitution’s Bill of Rights assures individual rights including freedom of speech, press, and religion. America has changed dramatically from the country our founding fathers discovered. Some could even argue that we’re not really free at all anymore.…
“O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" When Francis Scott Key wrote these closing lyrics to our national anthem in 1814, he clearly understood what it meant to be free. But do we know what freedom really means? Webster’s dictionary defines freedom as a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions. When the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, they used this definition to establish three basic rights to all Americans which were the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Each of these principles defines what it means for me to be free.…
Mrs. Gruwell pushes a crowd of gangsters, thieves, and misfit students to become different and change the world. In her first Diary entry, she writes “I immediately threw out my meticulously planned lessons and made tolerance the core of my curriculum. From that moment on,…
In the United States we have many freedoms that we as citizens possess. Freedom of speech is one of the freedoms we enjoy. But what is the meaning of the word “freedom”, and how free is our speech? The word free, according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary means: having the legal and political rights of a citizen. With this in mind, it does not mean that we have the right to do and say as we please. The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (The Constitution of The United States). The Citizens of the United States misinterpret the phase “Freedom of Speech” to suit their own needs and wants. In this essay we will discuss how our interpretation of our freedom is only a myth brought on by our selfish ways and thoughts and interpreted according to what we feel it means in the situations that fit best. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Courts to only protect citizens in certain applications and situations and, not protect some companies and corporations nor does it offer to protect citizens of the United States from speaking against the government. Governmental agencies have twisted the first amendment to fit what the individuals of that particular agencies likes or dislikes, and their view of certain speakers.…
For me, I find that there are two different answers to the question: “Are we free within Society?” - and that there are many variations, with thanks to culture, socialization, social interaction and social structure. For the most part I find freedom all around. I'll give some examples of that and show some areas where I see other's struggle with finding a sense of freedom, whether it be external or within.…