• Political opponents of Gov. Ron DeSantis made waves late this week in publicly decrying the DeSantis administration’s decision to reject the offering of Advanced Placement African American Studies courses in Florida high schools 
• Critics state that the move supplements efforts to shut down discussions about race 
• Those in support of the governor claim that the curriculum violates state standards and serves as a vehicle for a political agenda

Opponents of Gov. Ron DeSantis are criticizing his administration’s recent decision to reject the teaching of Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies in Florida high schools.

In a letter obtained by The Capitolist dated January 12, the DeSantis administration informed the College Board, the organization responsible for administering AP courses, that the decision was made on the grounds that the course is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law” and “significantly lacks educational value.”

“The Florida Department of Education has rejected the College Board’s AP African American Studies course because it lacks educational value and historical accuracy,” the Office of the Governor stated via email. “As submitted, the course serves as a vehicle for a political agenda and contains large, ambiguous gaps that could be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow. As Governor DeSantis has emphasized, our classrooms are places for education, not indoctrination.”

According to the AP syllabus, the course is interdisciplinary, examining the diversity of African American experiences through engagement with a wide array of primary and secondary sources. It challenges students to “identify the intersections of race, gender, and class” and explore connections between Black communities in the United States and the broader African diaspora.

Critics, particularly Democratic lawmakers, were swift to condemn the decision. State Senator Shevrin Jones, speaking to The Capitolist, expressed concern over the governor’s stance.

“The narrative the governor is pushing—that teachers or our educational institutions are indoctrinating students with ideology—is problematic at its core,” Jones remarked. “What we’re discussing here is history—documented, factual history—that the governor seems intent on erasing or whitewashing, constructing a narrative that suggests these topics are what’s dividing our state and country.”

Jones also highlighted the escalating tensions between DeSantis and established educational curricula across the state, which culminated in the governor’s signing of the ‘Stop WOKE Act’ last year. The law enumerates a series of race-related concepts and asserts that instructing students in ways that promote these ideas constitutes discrimination.

However, the law faced immediate legal challenges, and its enforcement has since been blocked by the courts.

“I think Florida is doing everything possible to stifle conversations about race, slavery, and anything that challenges the notion that racism persists in this country,” Jones continued.

He also pointed out that comparable AP courses, such as European History and various language and culture classes, are allowed to proceed without issue, questioning why African American Studies alone was targeted.

“It’s par for the course,” Jones quipped.

– AP European History
– AP Art History
– AP Japanese Language & Culture
– AP German Language & Culture
– AP Italian Language & Culture
– AP Spanish Language & Culture

Are AP classes currently offered. It’s crazy how AP African-American studies made the chopping block in FL. 🤔

— Shevrin “Shev” Jones (@ShevrinJones) January 19, 2023

Meanwhile, DeSantis allies, like Deputy Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern, pushed back against the criticism. Redfern stated that the College Board’s course was “thinly cited” and overly ideological, insisting that such content was not appropriate for Florida’s students.

Officials from the Florida Department of Education told The Capitolist that if the College Board revises the course to align with state standards, the Department will reconsider it for approval.

“Governor DeSantis has consistently advocated for Florida’s schools to use accurate, historical curricula, including content that factually portrays African American history,” the Office of the Governor said.