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Lean on Me (1989) - Whether you peaked in high school or are scarred by its memories, it's hard to resist reliving the experience through film. Our list of the 10 best Black high school movies kicks off with Lean on Me.This emotional drama, winner of two NAACP Image awards, stars Morgan Freeman as a high school principal determined to turn around his inner-city school and show its students a brighter future. (Photo: Warner Brothers/Getty Images)

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Freedom Writers (2007) - (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

Photo By Photo: Paramount Pictures

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Dope (2015) - (Photo: Open Road Films)

Photo By Photo: Open Road Films

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House Party (1990) - (Photo: New Line Cinema)

Photo By Photo: New Line Cinema

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Cooley High (1975) - (Photo: Courtesy of American International Pictures)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy of American International Pictures

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Dangerous Minds (1995) - Based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by LouAnne Johnson, Dangerous Minds follows the journey of a U.S. Marine (Michelle Pfieffer) who takes a teaching job in a neglected school district of Northern California. With a little help from Coolio, who's "Gangsta's Paradise" was the highlight of the soundtrack, she triumphs. (Photo: Hollywood Pictures/Getty Images) 

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Hoop Dreams (1994) - Arguably one of the best documentary films ever made, Hoop Dreams follows two gifted high school basketball players in Chicago as they pursue dreams of playing in the NBA. The film sheds light on the sacrifices families make to reach their goal of a professional contract, and the heartbreaking disappointment that comes with rejection. While technicalities prevented the film from being nominated for an Oscar, it is widely regarded is a major achievement in the genre.(Photo: Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

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Stand and Deliver (1988) - Who says math can't be inspiring? Stand and Deliver centers on Jaime Escalante, a teacher in an East Los Angeles school who is determined to teach his students calculus, despite taunts from his fellow faculty that "you can't teach logarithms to illiterates." After one year of hard work, he proves them wrong, and gives a group of under-achieving kids an inspiring dose of self-confidence.(Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures)

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To Sir, With Love (1967) - When it comes to taming dangerous minds or inspiring kids to stand and deliver, Michelle Pfieffer and Edward James Olmos learned their tricks from Poitier. In To Sir, With Love, the legendary thespian gives some tough love to a classroom of unruly teens, teaching them lessons of tolerance in the process.(Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)

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High School Musical (2006) - Disney, the studio that formed the Mickey Mouse Club, struck gold again with High School Musical. The film made the awkwardness and anguish of high school look like a Seventeen magazine spread, but spawned a whole new generation of young stars. (Photo: Courtesy Disney)

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Fame (1980) - Compared to High School Musical, this film seems downright gritty. Though the kids of New York High School of Performing Arts often express themselves through song and dance, they also deal with very real-world problems like abortion, drug abuse and depression. (Photo: United Artists/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

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Boyz in the Hood (1991) - This groundbreaking film by John Singleton, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director, demonstrates what can happen to inner-city kids who don't have an inspiring role model in the classroom. Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and his pals Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Ricky (Morris Chestnut) are constantly caught between the lure of the street and the hope of a better life. The film was one of the first accurate portrayals of life in South Central on film.(Photo: Columbia Pictures/Getty Images)

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Bring It On (2000) - Kristen Dunst and Gabrielle Union star as rival cheerleaders determined to win the competition and are willing to do anything to bring honor to their schools...and smack the other down in the process. While it's not hard to see why the film, like cheerleaders in general, was so popular with audiences, its $90 million box office take makes it a certified cult classic.(Photo: Buyenlarge/Getty Images)