DeSantis Admin Defends Banning African American Studies Class

The administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last week blocked a new Advanced Placement (A.P.) course for high school students on African American studies, which has sparked some criticism on social media.

The news regarding the course was first reported by National Review on Wednesday. The conservative news outlet wrote that the Florida Department of Education's Office of Articulation wrote a letter dated January 12 to the College Board, which oversees A.P.

The letter, which has been viewed by Newsweek, informed the organization that the African American studies course had been rejected due to issues with its content.

"In its current form, the College Board's A.P. African American Studies course lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law," Cassandra Palelis, press secretary for the Florida Department of Education, told Newsweek. "If the course comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content, the Department will reopen the discussion."