College Board Revises AP African American Studies Course After Florida Pushback
AllSides Summary
The College Board released a revised version of its Advanced Placement African American studies course on Wednesday, following Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R) decision to block the program from being taught in the state’s schools.
The Details: Several writers and scholars associated with critical race theory (CRT), the black queer experience, and black feminism were removed from the curriculum. Required teachings on Black Lives Matter and reparations were also removed. Both subjects remain on a list of options for a required research project, along with the newly-added "black conservatism."
Key Quotes: "At the College Board, we can’t look to statements of political leaders," said CEO David Coleman. He attributed the changes to "the input of professors" and "longstanding A.P. principles."
For Context: DeSantis took issue with the inclusion of curriculum covering queer theory, intersectionality, and abolishing prisons, and accused it of harboring a political agenda. "We want education, not indoctrination," he said at the time.
How the Media Covered It: Right-rated sources typically framed the revised curriculum as a win for "anti-woke" education. One writer for National Review praised DeSantis, saying it "took courage to face a torrent of false racism charges and get this win." Some left-rated sources highlighted criticism of DeSantis and the College Board. Several left-rated opinion writers, including from Washington Post and New York Times (Lean Left bias), said DeSantis "attacked" black history and attempted to "erase" it from high school curriculum.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
College Board Removes CRT Themes from AP African-American Studies Course after DeSantis Pushback
The College Board on Wednesday announced changes to the framework of its Advanced Placement African-American studies course after receiving pushback from Florida governor Ron DeSantis and other conservatives.
Florida rejected the pilot AP course, with critics arguing that a part of the course focused on contemporary political and culture controversies centered on hard-left voices and left out conventional liberal and conservative perspectives.
DeSantis told reporters last month that the course advocates for radical political positions and attempts to indoctrinate students. He specifically took issue with one section of the course focused on “Black Queer...
From the Center
College Board revises African American studies class after DeSantis criticism
The College Board on Wednesday released a revised version of an Advanced Placement African American studies course following criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who refused to allow the program to run in the state’s schools.
In a new framework for the course reviewed by The Hill, Black writers and scholars associated with critical race theory have been scrubbed from the curriculum, as have those who touch on the Black queer experience and Black feminism. Other topics, like Black Lives Matter, are now optional.
The Board also added “Black conservatism” as a potential...
From the Left
College Board unveils official framework for new AP African American studies course
The College Board released Wednesday the official framework of a new Advanced Placement course on African American Studies that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier denounced for imposing a “political agenda.”
In recent months, the multidisciplinary course has been praised by academics and historians, all while becoming a target for lawmakers aiming to restrict how topics like racism and history are being taught in public schools.
DeSantis had objected to some of the topics and authors that were initially part of the course; those topics – Black queer studies and Black feminism...
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