College Board to revise AP African American Studies course rejected by DeSantis administration

Published Jan. 24, 2023, 3:19 p.m. ET | Updated Jan. 24, 2023

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to guests at the Nebraska Steak Fry in Nebraska City, Neb., Sep. 12, 2021. (Right Cheer)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to guests at the Nebraska Steak Fry in Nebraska City, Neb., Sep. 12, 2021. (Right Cheer)

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – The College Board announced it would update the AP African American Studies course after the Florida Department of Education rejected the initial version due to lack of “educational value” and “historical accuracy.”

The College Board said it would release the course’s “official framework,” which has been in the works since March 2022 to replace the preliminary pilot course framework. The revised program framework is expected to be released Feb. 1, which is the first day of Black History Month.

“Before a new AP course is made broadly available, it is piloted in a small number of high schools to gather feedback from high schools and colleges. The official course framework incorporates this feedback and defines what students will encounter on the AP Exam for college credit and placement,” the College Board said. “We are grateful for the contributions of experts, teachers, and students and look forward to sharing the framework broadly.”

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education, Alex Lanfranconi, said the department is glad the College Board recognized that the originally submitted course curriculum is “problematic” and was encouraged by the Board’s willingness to amend.

“AP courses are standardized nationwide, and as a result of Florida’s strong stance against identity politics and indoctrination, students across the country will consequentially have access to an historically accurate, unbiased course,” Lanfranconi said.

As Governor DeSantis said, African American History is American History, and we will not allow any organization to use an academic course as a gateway for indoctrination and a political agenda. We look forward to reviewing the College Board’s changes and expect the removal of content on Critical Race Theory, Black Queer Studies, Intersectionality and other topics that violate our laws.

Florida Department of Education

The DeSantis administration had previously rejected the course Jan. 19, citing it is a “vehicle for a political agenda” that is ambiguous and “can be filled with additional ideological material.”

The education department had previously told the College Board in a letter that it can come back to the table with “lawful, historically accurate content” and the department would be willing to reopen the discussion.

“As Governor DeSantis has stated, our classrooms will be a place for education, not indoctrination,” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said when the course was initially rejected.

At that time, the Board released a statement to the Associated Press saying the African American studies class is still in development and its content is subject to change with input from a variety of sources. The Board said the new program would be tested in 60 schools before offering it nationwide.

“The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard part of any new AP course, and frameworks often change significantly as a result,” the College Board’s statement read.

The department’s rejection letter did not point out specific examples of concern, however, a dive into the course’s syllabus showed themes of Critical Race Theory and intersectionality woven throughout. Intersectionality argues that categories such as race, class, and gender overlap and create systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

Topics such as “colorblindness” are discussed. One of the books listed that would “likely” be examined during the course includes “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.” The book’s online summary argues that the U.S. criminal justice system “functions as a contemporary system of racial control– relegating millions to a permanent second-class status.”

Other “core concepts” students would be taught include “racial capitalism” and “structural racism.” Racial capitalism is the concept that argues “the development, organization and expansion of capitalist society pursued essentially racial directions.”

DeSantis signed the “Stop WOKE” legislation earlier this year. It bans educators and workplace employers from teaching Floridians that their “moral character” is determined by race, sex, or national origin. The bill also aims to prohibit corporations from mandating employees go through Critical Race Theory training.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Commissioner Manny Diaz’s tweet.

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