Andre Robert Lee Coming to Eaglebrook

Andre Robert Lee, writer and director of the acclaimed documentary “The Prep School Negro”, is coming to speak to the Eaglebrook School faculty during the opening faculty meetings later this month. Mr. Lee attended Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, PA. On the film’s website, Mr. Lee writes, “…prior to GFS, I had very little contact with people who were neither black nor poor.” He goes on to write, “…I felt guilty about gaining access to this world with those who were not able to walk with me.” The film, which grew out of Mr. Lee’s experiences at GFS, explores the lives of students who have to learn how to straddle different worlds when they begin attending an independent school.

Several Eaglebrook administrators had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Lee earlier in the summer, and he was able to open up about what he hopes to talk about when he is on campus. He told the administrators, “it is hard enough to fit in, let alone when you come from different worlds,” and he urged the group to keep dialog going on campus between the students and the faculty about how to bridge those gaps.

Shelley Dresser, Eaglebrook’s Diversity Coordinator, had this to say about Mr. Lee’s impending visit, “Most of our students, domestic, international, those from the city, or those from the country find themselves balancing two worlds or two cultures when they come to Eaglebrook. This movie is a timely reminder of the struggle that our students go through as they leave home with all its comforts and familiarity to move onto new, exciting, and fulfilling experiences at Eaglebrook.” Read more about Mr. Lee and his film here.