On Wednesday, the College Board released an amended curriculum for its new Advanced Placement course in African American studies following conservative backlash.
A previous draft of the course framework drew criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who said the inclusion of contemporary topics such as Black Lives Matter was political indoctrination and “lacked educational value.”
On Jan. 12, DeSantis’ administration sent a letter to the College Board threatening to ban the course.
Now, in the final version of the curriculum, subjects such as Black feminism, critical race theory, and queer theory have been removed as required content. Students taking the course will still be able to use these topics for research projects.
The changes have garnered condemnation from advocacy groups, including the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organizaton.
“To wake up on the first day of Black History Month to news of white men in positions of privilege horse trading essential and inextricably linked parts of Black History, which is American history, is infuriating,” David J. Johns, the coalition’s executive director, said in a statement.
The course, which is being launched as a pilot program before it is introduced nationally next year, covers 79 topics ranging from early African studies to the effect of Jim Crow laws in the United States.
In a statement released Wednesday, the College Board said that “the course focuses on the topics where professors shared a strong consensus on the essential events, experiences and individuals crucial to a study of African American history and culture.”
