Florida bans new African American studies course from high schools 

The administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis blocked an Advanced Placement course of African American studies from being taught in high schools after claiming its content was historically inaccurate and violated state law. 

“As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value,” said the state education department rejecting the program in a letter sent to College Board, which oversees AP classes. 

“In the future, should College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, (the education department) will always be willing to reopen the discussion,” the letter continued.

The College Board said that the AP African American studies course was still being developed and was launching a pilot program to test it in over 60 schools. The multidisciplinary course, as the institution’s website describes it, aims to teach the subject by studying history, civil rights, politics, literature, arts, and geography.

 “Like all new AP courses, AP African American Studies is undergoing a rigorous, multi-year pilot phase, collecting feedback from teachers, students, scholars, and policymakers.”

“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 statement read.

Governor DeSantis has actively opposed schools teaching what he calls liberal ideologies, including critical race theory, sexuality, and identity, in schools. Last year, the governor signed legislation restricting how racism and other aspects of history were taught.