The College Board unleashed a torrent of criticism when it released the “framework” for its new Advanced Placement course in African American studies on Feb. 1 with several controversial topics and modern Black thinkers removed from the required curriculum.

The release came weeks after Florida’s Department of Education, which reports to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, informed the College Board that the course would be banned in Florida schools because it lacked “educational value and historical accuracy.”

The College Board, which runs AP courses, eliminated current topics, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the debate over reparations for slavery, from the new AP test. Those topics can be included on a list of options for a research project.

“Coming in the current political climate, the proposed changes appear to be an effort to dilute the curriculum; a capitulation to education censors for political expediency,” said Jeremy C. Young of the nonprofit PEN America.

The new AP course will be offered nationwide starting in the 2024-25 school year.

Teresa Reed, the dean of the School of Music at the University of Louisville, said the exclusion of topics should not detract from the bigger picture: “AP African American Studies now exists where it did not before, and this is a huge win for all students.”

Chronicle of Higher Education, 
Feb. 2

Education Week,
Feb. 1