The College Board released an official curriculum for its new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies on Wednesday. Some of the content that had been criticized by Governor Ron DeSantis and other conservatives has been removed, including names of Black writers and scholars associated with critical race theory, queer experience, Black feminism, and Black Lives Matter.
A new addition to the curriculum is “Black conservatism.” The announcement of the A.P. course in August was celebrated by some scholars, but it quickly faced criticism from both conservatives and academics/liberal groups. The curriculum changes led to a larger debate over education and the history of race in America, with Governor DeSantis proposing to eliminate “ideological conformity” in higher education. The head of the College Board says the changes were made for pedagogical reasons, but some academics argue the changes appear to bow to political pressure.
The revised curriculum focuses on the history of Africa, slavery, reconstruction, civil rights movement, and individual achievements, but downgrades the study of contemporary topics. The list of topics for a required research project, including the study of Black Lives Matter and queer life, can be refined by local states and districts. Some writers and scholars, including Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, Roderick Ferguson, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, have also been removed from the curriculum.
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