Speaker Series

In April 2021, filmmaker and activist André Robert Lee, creator of The Prep School Negro, visited Calvert School virtually for a full day of discussion about race and equity centered on his latest documentary, The Road to Justice. Throughout the day, Lee engaged with students in Tenth Age through Eighth Grade during virtual workshops that encouraged the students to speak up when they see or experience inequity.

Lee, who teaches filmmaking at Germantown Friends School, has committed his life to “building an army of change agents.” He says that the best way to dismantle systemic inequity and racial bias is to be vulnerable and honest when discussing tough topics.

His films, including The Prep School Negro, Virtually Free, and The Road to Justice, are designed to reveal new perspectives and prompt meaningful conversation.

 

“If we sit back and just watch inequities, we are being a silent witness, the theme of the day,” Lee explained to students. “But until we do something – until we say something – it will stay exactly the same.”

Lee also delivered they keynote address for the Middle School Student Leadership in Diversity Conference (MSSLDC) that saw more than 240 students from independent schools gather virtually on April 24.