College Board Revises Advanced Placement Course in African American Studies After Political Pressure from Florida Governor

In a move that has been met with both praise and criticism, the College Board has released a revised syllabus for its new Advanced Placement course in African American studies. The changes come after intense pushback from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was angered by the idea of students focusing on Black history.

The new curriculum no longer includes many of the topics that originally angered conservatives, including the names of several Black authors identified as problematic by Florida officials. These authors were associated with Black feminism, LGBTQ issues and critical race theory.

The College Board, a nonprofit that oversees the AP program nationwide, has insisted that the revisions were long-planned and not a result of political pressure. However, many are skeptical of this claim, as the changes come on the first day of Black History Month.

The revised syllabus has been met with both praise and criticism. Supporters of the changes argue that the College Board is right to remove material that is politically charged and could be seen as biased. However, critics argue that the College Board is caving to political pressure and is not allowing students to learn about important aspects of Black history.

The College Board has yet to comment on the controversy, but the revised syllabus is now available for students and teachers to review. It remains to be seen how the changes will affect the course and the students who take it.