The College Board will be making changes to AP African American studies
The College Board has announced plans to make changes to its new Advanced Placement (AP) African American studies course after facing criticism for removing several topics from the framework, including Black Lives Matter, slavery reparations, and queer life, following political pressure.
In a statement released on Monday, the College Board said that the development committee and experts tasked with authoring the course would be determining the details of these changes in the coming months. The organization emphasized its commitment to offering a comprehensive and factual encounter with African American history and culture.
The specifics of the changes have yet to be disclosed.
The course garnered national attention earlier this year when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to ban it in his state, accusing it of pushing a political agenda. However, the official curriculum for the course toned down some of the components that had drawn objections from the governor and other conservatives. The College Board received criticism from activists and African American scholars who were outraged at the notion that the course was changed because of political pressure.
The AP African American studies course was launched in 60 schools across the United States and is set to expand to 800 schools with 16,000 students during the upcoming school year. The College Board previously stated that the course revisions were made independently and not influenced by politics before Governor DeSantis expressed his objections.
The nonprofit testing company offers AP courses in a wide range of academic subjects. These courses are optional and taught at a college level, with students who score high enough on the final exam typically earning course credit at their university.
