The Freedom Writers is a collective name for a group of students from Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California, who worked together with their teacher, Erin Gruwell, to compile their personal stories into a book. Their book, The Freedom Writers Diary, published in 1999, is a compilation of real diary entries written by the students about their lives and experiences.

The Freedom Writers' story gained further recognition through the 2007 film Freedom Writers, directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank as Erin Gruwell. The film, inspired by their book, portrays the challenges the students faced and their journey towards hope and understanding through writing.

The collective's name, "Freedom Writers," is a play on "Freedom Riders," the civil rights activists who challenged racial segregation in the United States during the 1960s. This reflects the group's mission to overcome adversity and make a difference through their powerful narratives.