Topline
The College Board will soon issue a revised final framework for its new AP African-American Studies course, after the class drew national attention when Florida rejected the course for its purported “political agenda”—but if the updated curriculum gives in to Florida’s concerns, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) warned his state could refuse to offer the course instead.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois attends a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, ... [+]
Key Facts
The College Board, which develops and oversees Advanced Placement courses, announced Tuesday it would “release the official framework” for its AP African-American Studies course on February 1—the class is now being piloted at select high schools before rolling out more broadly in the 2024-2025 school year.
The revised framework comes after Florida—led by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)—rejected the course for including studies on such topics as intersectionality and queer theory, claiming that it pushed a “political agenda” and “lacks educational value.”
NBC News reports the College Board would not say whether any revisions were made to address Florida’s complaints—rather just that it incorporated feedback on the course from where it was piloted—but the Florida Department of Education cheered the news anyway, saying it was “glad the College Board has recognized that the originally submitted course curriculum is problematic.”
Pritzker sent a letter to the College Board, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday, saying the state would oppose any changes made “in order to fit Florida’s racist and homophobic laws.”
Illinois will reject the course if it is “watered-down” to fit Florida’s demands and doesn’t have “a factual accounting of history, including the role played by black queer Americans,” Pritzker wrote, according to a copy of the letter reported by the Sun-Times.
The College Board has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Crucial Quote
“In Illinois, we reject any curriculum modifications designed to appease extremists like the Florida Governor and his allies,” Pritzker wrote, saying the state would examine the updated curriculum to make sure it has “all necessary history, starting with this nation’s foundation built on slavery, the Civil War where this nation reckoned with that history and the decades of rebuilding and efforts of black Americans to continue their fight for equality and equity to this day.”
What We Don’t Know
What the course’s final framework will look like. The version of the AP African-American Studies course that’s being piloted now was developed with input from 20 academics, and broadly covers African-American history and culture, largely in the U.S. but also incorporating the history of the African diaspora. Its curriculum includes more than 100 smaller sub-topics—only six of which Florida cited as reasons for rejecting the course—covering history, literature, culture and concepts like cultural appropriation.
Key Background
Florida rejected the AP African-American Studies course in mid-January, claiming it is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks education value.” The move was part of a broader effort by DeSantis and his government to combat purported “wokeness” in Florida schools, which includes banning critical race theory from being taught in schools and passing the “Stop WOKE Act,” which prohibits teaching on many race-related concepts like unconscious bias or white privilege that suggest any inherent discrimination. Florida’s rejection of the AP course has become a matter of national controversy, with the White House calling the move “incomprehensible” and “concerning” and civil rights leaders protesting the move. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced at a press conference Wednesday that he was representing students who would sue the state should it reject the final version of the AP course in an effort to have the course allowed.
Further Reading
Pritzker: Don’t change high school AP course to appease DeSantis and ‘Florida’s racist and homophobic laws’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
AP African American Studies course rejected by Florida to be revised, College Board says (NBC News)
Florida Rejects AP African American Studies Course—Here’s What It Actually Teaches (Forbes)
DeSantis Defends Florida Rejecting AP African-American Studies Course (Forbes)
Backlash grows against DeSantis decision to block AP African American studies class (Washington Post)
