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News Articles: AP African American studies

Georgia District 9 Representative Nikki Merritt speaks at a rally at the state capitol on July 24, 2024 demanding full approval of the AP African American History course.

'It’s not a reversal': Georgia teachers union responds to AP African American History course shift

Superintendent Woods appeared to reverse course on a decision not to give state funding to an advanced Black history class, but educators say the new guidance isn't the same as full approval.

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Georgia Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods speaks to reporters, Jan. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. Woods, an elected Republican, is refusing to provide state funding for the new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies.

In a reversal, Georgia now says districts can use state funding to teach AP Black studies classes

Georgia state Superintendent Richard Woods now says the state will pay for districts to teach a new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies. The announcement came Wednesday, a day after Woods said districts could only teach the course using local funds.

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Emmitt Glynn teaches to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Jan. 30, in Baton Rouge, La. On Wednesday, the College Board released an updated framework for its new Advanced Placement African American Studies course, months after the nonprofit testing company came under intense scrutiny for engaging with conservative critics.

The College Board releases a new framework for its AP African American Studies course

Controversy swirled around the new course after it was rejected by the Florida Department of Education, with conservative critics accusing the College Board of bias.

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  • Joe Hernandez
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration rejected the original curriculum for the African American studies course in January.

College Board's revised AP African American studies course draws new criticism

The organization released the new curriculum for the Advanced Placement course after Florida rejected the pilot. The revisions removed units on Black feminist literary thought and Black Lives Matter.

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  • Giulia Heyward and
  • Juma Sei
Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Jan. 30 in Baton Rouge, La. It was one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course.

Revised AP African American Studies class drops controversial topics after criticism

The official curriculum for the new Advanced Placement course released Wednesday removed topics like Black Lives Matter that drew criticism from conservatives including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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  • The Associated Press
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state rejected the African American studies course because education "is about the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of ideology or the advancement of a political agenda."

Critics say Florida aims to rewrite history by rejecting African American studies

"One Governor should not have the power to dictate the facts of U.S. history," Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said of GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' move to ban the Advanced Placement course.

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  • Giulia Heyward