The refers to a group of 150 students from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, who, under the guidance of teacher Erin Gruwell , used journal writing to overcome racial division and personal trauma . Their story, which began in 1994, was first documented in the 1999 non-fiction book The Freedom Writers Diary and later adapted into the 2007 film Freedom Writers . 1. Historical Background & Origin Analyzing Freedom Writers - Diva-portal.org