Baton Rouge, La — Revisions Made to African American Studies Curriculum by College Board Amid ControversyBaton Rouge, Louisiana is one of the sixty schools across the country participating in a pilot program for a new African American Studies course. The course has received national attention due to the threat by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to ban it in his state. The revised curriculum, released by the College Board, which oversees Advanced Placement (AP) exams, has downplayed certain aspects that had previously drawn criticism from DeSantis and other conservatives.
The official curriculum for the course no longer includes topics such as Black Lives Matter, slavery reparations, and queer life, which were included in the original curriculum. These topics will only be a part of a sample list that states and school systems may choose from for student projects. The College Board stated that the revisions to the course were mostly complete prior to DeSantis’ objections.
Despite DeSantis’ objections, the course is expanding to hundreds of high schools in the next academic year, guided by the revised curriculum. The College Board stated that developers consulted with over 200 colleges, including several historically black institutions, and took input from teachers participating in the pilot program.
Senior Kahlila Bandele, who is enrolled in the course at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, stated that she doesn’t feel that the course is attempting to indoctrinate students. Bandele also stated that in contrast to the African American Studies course, her European History course does not address the experiences of black people.
DeSantis, who may run for president in 2024 as a Republican, stated that he is blocking the course in Florida because it promotes a political agenda. He also stated that Florida’s education standards require teaching black history as part of the core curriculum and that he wants education, not indoctrination. A spokesperson for DeSantis stated that the state education department is reviewing the revised curriculum to ensure compliance with Florida law.
Despite the College Board’s assurances, the notion that the course was changed due to political controversy has generated fresh outrage. David Johns, the executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, stated that it was “infuriating” to hear that parts of black history were being traded for political reasons.
The course has been well-received by students at schools where it has been introduced. In Baton Rouge, the high demand for the course has led to Emmitt Glynn, a teacher at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, having to teach the course to two classes instead of just one. Glynn’s students read selections from “The Wretched of the Earth” by Frantz Fanon and had a lively discussion about the text, connecting it to topics like the conflict between colonizers and Native Americans and police violence in Memphis, Tennessee.
Glynn stated that he is proud of the connections his students are making between the past and present and that they are not only learning history, but also making history. Glynn believes that by providing his students with information, he is able to see light bulbs go off in their minds and that they are able to understand how the information affects them.
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