![]() At Wilson High School, these divisions are strikingly visible. To remain safe, people generally stayed loyal to their own group, as one could be shot at for the mere fact of having the wrong skin color-regardless of whether or not one actually belonged to a rival gang. Later events, such as California’s Proposition 187, meant to prohibit illegal immigrants from using various services in California (including health care and public education), only heightened the sense of discrimination and exclusion that many minority communities experienced at the time, in particular Asian and Latino immigrants.Įthnic and racial communities were also in direct rivalry with each other, as African-American, Asian, and Latino gangs engaged in a ruthless war for power and territory. Gruwell notes that the tension could be felt in the school itself. This long stretch of rioting had a severe effect on increasing racial tensions in the area, and Ms. ![]() When the police officers were acquitted for this act, six days of violent rioting erupted in Los Angeles, protesting the long-standing discrimination and abuse that the African-American community has suffered from the police. Two years earlier, in 1992, officers in the Los Angeles Police Department were filmed brutally beating Rodney King, an unarmed black man, before arresting him. Erin Gruwell begins to teach in a historical context of racial tensions. As a result, one’s social identity and appearance determine one’s entire life, from one’s friend group to one’s chances of survival in the street. The students at Wilson High School are immersed in the urban world of Long Beach, where racial tensions and a vicious gang war divide the population along ethnic and racial lines. ![]() Ultimately, the Freedom Writers commit to focusing only on everyone’s inherent humanity, concluding that there is only one race that matters: the united human race. Gruwell’s students learn to see beyond the barriers of race and ethnicity, discovering that peace and tolerance are infinitely greater goals than remaining focused on people’s different identities. Inspired by Anne and Zlata’s experiences, Ms. Gruwell begins to teach her class about the historical consequences of ethnic violence around the world, focusing on the stories of Anne Frank in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands and Zlata Filipović in contemporary war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina, her students are forced to confront the horrific consequences of ethnic hatred. As a consequence, at school and in their neighborhood, students learn to remain within the confines of their own identity group. The rivalry between black, Asian, and Latino gangs affect their everyday lives, constantly making them potential victims in a war where only external appearances and group loyalty matter. What are your thoughts on this video? Pay close attention to how the nonverbal action of "standing on the line" effects the classroom environment.The students at Wilson High School are used to navigating racial and ethnic divisions. ![]() Nonverbal communication has a clear and powerful impact on young people who are still in the process of growing physically, emotionally, and socially. Perhaps public schools should adopt a similar strategy - utilize more nonverbal communication activities in a classroom full of mis-communication, aggression, violence, and even hatred. For example, Chicago Public Schools four-year graduation rate was 69% in 2013, compared to Wake County Public Schools four-year graduation rate of 81%. Inner-city public schools in the United States experience lower graduation rates compared to districts who benefit from high tax-payer income and wealthy areas. Students did not use a single verbal message to communicate with one another, instead, the simple act of "standing on the line" was enough to create connections, instill resilience, and motivate. Differences in skin color, race, gender, and status was unimportant in that moment. Looking at the nonverbal communication between students, emotion was evident through the student facial expressions of sadness, grief, and even laughter. ![]() Swank is faced with a classroom of hatred due to race, gender, and cultural differences. Prior to this moment, the classroom is unbearable and impossible to teach. She instills a sense of self-worth, motivation, and a belief in a successful future. In a classroom full of potential high school drop outs, gang members, or drug dealers, who come from poverty, crime, and lack of support, Hillary Swank influences her students and taps into their inner potential. ![]()
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