The Red Suit and Pearls

I was at a local family restaurant off the beaten path in Maine this summer and the young waitress mentioned that it was her last night. Given that it was the end of the summer and a slow night, I asked about her plans for the fall. She said, “I am finishing up my last year at the University of Maine at Farmington. I’m going to be a teacher,” she said proudly. Of course, I jumped right in and told her that I was a history teacher in Massachusetts and that the profession needed people who were passionate about teaching kids. After she served dinner, I went on to inquire as to the level and content area she was planning to teach. She indicated that she wanted to be a junior high English teacher. I then asked her if she had seen the movie Freedom Writers. Instantly her eyes widened and she said with all the excitement of a lottery winner, “Yes, I went to see it with some of my friends this summer and I absolutely loved it!” She went on to say, “Often my friends will tell me that I am never going to make it in life as a teacher, that it’s a profession for losers, and I will never have any money.” She looked right at me and said with all the strength of a lioness, “That movie said it all for me. That young teacher showed such determination, in the face of such adversity, in order to make a difference in the lives of her students. She instantly became my hero. Because of this young woman's story, I now have the voice and the words to express why I want to be a teacher and the reasons it is really, really, really, important to be a good teacher.” She went on to say, “I want to make a difference in the lives of my students.” During coffee and dessert, we went on to discuss the film, its message, the actress and the importance of having strong women portrayed in films. It was yet another indication that this film has, as they say in the news business, “ legs”. At a time when the value of teachers is being questioned, and in some respects, when teachers themselves have become their own worst enemy, a film like this has the power to creep into the social conscious of society and become an agent for change. If you haven’t seen the movie, I urge you to rent it and share its message of strength and hope with your family and friends. No question, it’s the real deal and it cuts close to home. Freedom Writers is the true story of Erin Gruwell, her 150 students, and how they ended up changing themselves and the world around them. It is a story about a twenty-three year old woman who went into an inner city school to teach. She picked this particular school for its diversity and because she wanted to make a real difference in the lives of her students. Instead of finding educators that were willing to help her succeed, she encountered bigotry, sexism, and worst of all - indifference. What is so great about this inspirational movie is that this young woman didn't give in to the repeated attempts to stop her in her quest to do what was right. When you see what she had to put up with and the sacrifices she made in order to help her students, you will get up out of your chair and cheer for this young women. See the movie and we can talk about the "red suit" and the "pearls". Go here to learn more about this amazing woman and her students. http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org