College Board revises African American Studies course after Florida ban

Feb 02, 2023

Mahmoud Bennett Social Media Producer/Reporter

By Mahmoud Bennett (Social Media Producer/Reporter)

The College Board, an organization responsible for Advanced Placement (AP) courses, has announced a revised version of a course on African American Studies after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis banned it from the state, calling it “woke indoctrination.”

“Who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is someone pushing an agenda on our kids,” said DeSantis. The state administration criticized specific sections of the course, including Black Queer Studies, Black Feminist Literary Thoughts and the Reparations Movement. Florida’s Department of Education has cited the topics as foundations for critical race theory.

However, critics have called the ban on the course illegal censorship. Fedrick Ingram, the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, said in an interview with PBS that “history sometimes involves the good the bad and the ugly of what happened. But we deserve honest history.”

Conservatives meanwhile are hailing the course revision as a win for DeSantis, who has made political fights around race, sex and education a priority. The second-term governor recently announced a push for a separate ban on diversity programs in state colleges.

DeSantis is reportedly preparing for a 2024 presidential run, with a January University of Massachusetts Amherst poll putting his 34% neck-and-neck with potential rival Donald Trump’s 37% in a matchup for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Tags: African American Studies, College Board, Critical Race Theory, Donald Trump, Florida, Ron DeSantis

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

THE COLLEGE BOARD HAS ANNOUNCED A REVISED AP COURSE ON AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES – AFTER GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS BANNED IT FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA CALLING SOME SECTIONS WOKE INDOCTRINATION

SPECIFICALLY THE ADMINISTRATION CRITICIZED THE SECTIONS ON BLACK QUEER STUDIES, BLACK FEMINIST LITERARY THOUGHTS AND THE REPARATIONS MOVEMENT – DESANTIS CLAIMING THESE ARE FOUNDATIONS FOR CRITICAL RACE THEORY

DESANTIS:

NOW, WHO WOULD SAY THAT AN IMPORTANT PART OF BLACK HISTORY IS QUEER THEORY? THAT IS SOMEONE PUSHING AN AGENDA ON OUR KIDS

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

FLORIDA OFFICIALS INSIST THE STATE DOES REQUIRE THE TEACHING OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY BUT ARGUE THE PILOT AP COURSE IN QUESTION VIOLATE THE STATE’S BRANDED STOP WOKE ACT

CRITICS ON THE OTHER HAND CALL IT ILLEGAL CENSORSHIP PLAIN AND SIMPLE

STEVE GALLON:

FLORIDA LAW EXPLICITLY STIPULATES THAT BLACK HISTORY SHALL BE TAUGHT TO STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IT DOESN’T SAY “MAY”, IT DOESN’T SAY “CAN”, IT SAYS “SHALL”.

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

MEANWHILE CONSERVATIVES HAIL THE COURSE REVISION AS A WIN FOR DESANTIS WHO HAS MADE POLITICAL FIGHTS AROUND RACE, SEX AND EDUCATION TOP ON HIS LIST OF PRIORITIES – IN FACT HE’S NOW PUSHING FOR A SEPARATE BAN ON DIVERSITY PROGRAMS IN STATE COLLEGES

GOVERNOR DESANTIS IS REPORTED TO BE ACTIVELY PREPARING FOR A 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN – WITH A RECENT UMASS POLL PUTTING HIM NECK AND NECK WITH POTENTIAL RIVAL DONALD J TRUMP

THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS SUPER QUICK BREAKDOWN – I’M MAHMOUD BENNETT WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WHERE WE ALWAYS AIM FOR THE UNBIASED STRAIGHT FACTS