Freedom Writers Podcast

Erin's brother Chris Gruwell brings us back to Bosnia in the early 1990s, where he visited as an American soldier at the time of a brutal civil war (a conflict which was later classified as a genocide). Chris recalls the chaos and violence in Sarajevo, painfully punctuated by an overwhelming sense of helplessness to stop the slaughter, and then recounts his experience chaperoning the Freedom Writers' trip to Europe in 1999. Next, Erin introduces her featured guest -- author, activist, and documentary filmmaker Zlata Filipovic, who was dubbed the "modern-day Anne Frank" when her heartrending book "Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo" reached global acclaim. In her conversation with Erin, Zlata paints a vivid picture of what it was like to grow up with bombs and bullets in the streets of her hometown, reflects on the identity politics that initiated the genocide in the first place, and firmly cautions against the use of labels and stereotypes in the contemporary dialogue. She also encourages us to

Shanate Jones, a Freedom Writer and Tech Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force, shares her story about serving in the military and how she used writing to cope during combat. Then Erin presents her riveting conversation with author, historian, and world traveler Andrew Carroll. Andy admits he hated history as a kid, but the turning point in his life occurred when his family's home was burned to the ground along with all of their photos, letters, and heirlooms. This tragedy, together with a World War II letter written by his cousin, sparked a lifelong mission to find and preserve personal histories from veterans, active-duty troops, and their families. In this episode, Andy tells captivating stories from soldiers and civilians dating all the way back to the American Revolution. In his work and his service, Andy focuses on drawing out the humanity in history in hopes of inspiring people from all backgrounds to discover their family history and write their own stories for future generations. Links and Resources: Book

John Lewis, original 1960's Freedom Rider and now Congressman, tells his story about growing up as an African-American boy in the south and how he became a civil rights activist under the tutelage of Dr. Martin Luther King. He encourages us to stand up for justice and get into "the good kind of trouble" when necessary. Then Erin shares her humbling conversation with the courageous Jim Zwerg, a white male Freedom Rider who protested segregation in the south alongside his friend John Lewis and several other key players of the civil rights movement such as Bernard Lafayette, Jim Bevel, and Diane Nash. Jim paints a vivid picture of the youth movement in Nashville in the early 1960s and then takes us to that fateful moment in Montgomery when he and John stepped off a bus and their lives were changed forever. Links and Resources: Books by Congressman John Lewis: https://amzn.to/2XyMOnu More about the Freedom Riders: https://to.pbs.org/2rPYWDV Jim Zwerg's Speech from the Hospital Bed: https://www.youtube.com/w

Freedom Writer Michael Bongiorno tells his story about falling into alcoholism as a teenager and how writing helped him overcome his addiction. Then Erin shares her inspiring conversation with former Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Patrick opens up about what it was like growing up in the Kennedy family and how he discovered his calling in politics; he shares personal experiences from his childhood, including how his mother and grandmother suffered from alcoholism and depression; then, Patrick tells the stirring story of his own struggle with addiction and mental illness, addressing common stumbling blocks and expounding on his fight for mental health parity today. Links and Resources: Patrick Kennedy www.parityregistry.org (Patrick's website that shows people how to file an appeal after being denied insurance coverage for mental health or addiction treatment services and send a formal complaint directly to enforcement officials in their state) https://www.patrickjkennedy.net/ (Patrick's main website) Patrick'

On the inaugural episode of the Freedom Writers Podcast, one of Ms. G's first students tells a story about a moment in class that changed his life forever. It all started with a drawing, an embarrassed classmate, and a question that surprised everyone: "What is the Holocaust?" Next, Erin shares a harrowing discussion she had with Holocaust survivor Renee Firestone and her daughter Klaire about what it was like in the concentration camps, how Klaire learned about the Holocaust from her parents, and a shocking revelation about what happened to Renee's sister at the hands of a Nazi doctor. Renee and Klaire also share their advice about how to learn from history and challenge us to act now to make a difference in the world. Links and Resources: Holocaust Education www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust www.museumoftolerance.com www.holocaust.org.uk The Last Days documentary www.imdb.com/title/tt0174852/ www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-days-1999 Buy Signed Copies of The Freedom Writers Diary w