Pushback in classrooms
February 28, 2023
Black history should be celebrated and recognized for more than one month of the year, and many organizations are beginning to become cognizant of this fact.
On Feb. 1, the College Board — an organization that oversees Advanced Placement (AP) classes and exams, along with national testing processes such as the SAT — released the official framework for their new AP African American Studies class. This contemporary class studies Black cultures inside and outside of America and was piloted in selected schools and states beginning in the fall of 2022.
AP African American Studies is widely regarded as an agent of curriculum diversity. Introducing the AP African American Studies class will likely increase representation in the classroom, especially in predominantly white schools like West. The goal is to expose a significant population of the U.S. to history that needs to be taught. McLeod, who has taken several AP history courses, believes this class will help diversify the primarily European-focused curriculum.
“[Black history] has been highlighted in my AP courses, but not very well and not on a larger scale,” McLeod said. “So many societies [and cultures] were built off of Black culture, people and minds, but it’s so often overshadowed and taken for granted. [AP African American Studies] would help in [terms of] representation for a lot of people, and a lot more people would be inclined to take it because they want to see themselves represented in history books.”
However, the introduction of this class has seen criticism on the belief that it’s unnecessary. Florida governor Ron DeSantis was perhaps the loudest voice of this backlash, with his administration blocking the course from being taught in Florida. DeSantis, who was also the face of the Stop WOKE Act — a bill that aimed to prohibit discussion of specific topics dealing with race, especially in schools — implied that the course was inaccurate and unlawful, even though this course has been in the works for over a decade. Its writers have also been working with several universities to bring the African diaspora’s diverse history to life.
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with questioning a course, especially one that isn’t typically covered in regular history classes. However, the discourse around AP African American Studies, in particular, has shifted from genuine questioning to outright nitpicking. Opposing parties, like DeSantis, claim that adding Black history to the curriculum will increase “white guilt” and dissension among students. However, the official framework for AP African American Studies reveals that the course will explore Black history and culture, from old African kingdoms to the African diaspora in the modern era.
“[The backlash] all stems [from] ignorance and miseducation,” McLeod said. “It’s sad to see that people are so threatened by history. We can’t avoid it — it happened. People cannot do anything about it — slavery, segregation, all of these things have happened and have systemic roots in America and [worldwide]. Just because people don’t like it doesn’t mean they can reject the idea.”
After Florida’s ban on the course, four more states have already begun reviewing it to see if it’s eligible for cuts or restrictions. Although this class is fundamentally consistent with large-scale AP classes like AP European History and culture-based AP classes such as AP Japanese Language and Culture and AP French Culture and Language, this course has been subjected to the same fate as Black History Month: criticism and overblown restrictions.