History or Indoctrination? African American Studies Course Sparks Debate
AllSides Summary
A recent standoff between education professionals and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over African American course curriculum sparked discussion and debate on education, history, and race.
For Context: Florida rejected a newly designed Advanced Placement (AP) African American studies curriculum, saying it violated Florida’s law banning critical race theory. The curriculum designer, The College Board, amended the course material to remove or make optional sections regarding black queer studies, activism, reparations movements, and black scholars linked to critical race theory. The curriculum is not finalized, according to The College Board, who stated that the latest changes were made in December.
Support for DeSantis: The Wall Street Journal Opinion Editorial Board stated that "DeSantis’s critics have accused him of trying to erase black history, though he was doing nothing of the sort." The board said the amendments to the curriculum were "vindication" for DeSantis, who has positioned himself as a leading force in the Republican Party heading into the 2024 election.
Opposition: In the Washington Post (Lean Left Bias), Mark Whitaker called DeSantis’s efforts against "wokeness" unfounded, and said the potential 2024 Republican candidate is attempting to signal to white students and their parents "that they shouldn’t be made to feel bad about anything their ancestors did to Black people." The piece determines that "teenagers of all races can benefit from the wider understanding of our history that Black studies have helped foster."
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From the Right
Ron DeSantis Schools the College Board
The College Board has released a serious rewrite of its framework for a new high-school advanced placement (AP) course in African-American Studies. Critical race theory is out, and Condoleezza Rice is in. The group insists that revisions were done for pedagogical reasons and completed in December, but even assuming that’s true, it’s vindication for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida rejected the last version of the curriculum, which featured topics on “Black Queer Studies,” “‘Postracial’ Racism,” and “the case for reparations.” That framework suggested teens read a text from an academic...
From the Center
Here are the key changes the College Board is making to its AP African American studies course
The College Board on Wednesday announced major changes to its Advanced Placement (AP)) African American studies course after objections from the administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), drawing sharp criticism from advocates and civil rights groups who said the alterations removed key material.
The College Board has said the changes were already in progress, and the coursework DeSantis rejected was part of a pilot program run in only a couple of dozen schools.
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From the Left
DeSantis is wrong about Black studies
In the latest salvo in his war on “wokeness,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced support for a statewide ban on a new Advanced Placement class on African American studies that will be officially unveiled this week at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. In defending the ban, DeSantis (R) and his allies at Florida’s Department of Education relied on a draft framework for the curriculum, and cherry-picked from roughly a hundred proposed topics to object to a handful of buzzwords, including “reparations” and “intersectionality,” as well as Black feminism and...
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