Racial tensions in the area
Racial tensions in the area were intense, and the sense of hopelessness among young people was palpable. The perfect culture for gangs. The first year I was there, more than 100 people were murdered in the city. And almost that many in neighboring Compton. Most victims were between 15 and 25. You had to be a blind, ignorant or uncaring adult to ignore the problem. And neither Gruwell nor I were any of the above. Susanne Jacoby Hale is the real life embodiment of those characters, dedicating her career and life to such a cause. Jacoby Hale started her career at Martin Luther King High School in Manhattan. During that first year, the drop out rate was so high that some of the newer teachers were let go. She and two other teachers were spared but under one condition. "When you get home tonight," he said, "tell your parents that you made history today." The eighth graders at the Coconut Creek school affected the entire city with their determination to catalog the stori...