Walkout (TV) (2006)

Edward James Olmos directs this HBO Films drama that tells the true but little-known story of a group of Chicano students who staged a compelling 1968 walkout to protest the injustices of the public high-school system in East Los Angeles. Starring Alexa Vega as Paula Crisostomo, an idealistic honor student who refuses to "play it safe" in a school system that clearly discriminates against Chicanos, instead banding with a group of activists to coordinate a multi- school walkout of students. Mentored by her charismatic teacher Sal Castro (Michael Peña), Paula learns that sometimes the price for progress is high -- but it's ultimately worth paying.