New Jersey embraces ‘woke’ label and calls out DeSantis for AP snub
Jeremiah Poff
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Democratic Party politicians in New Jersey are positioning the state as a “woke” haven and are contrasting the Garden State’s education efforts with Republican-controlled Florida.
On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ), announced his state will be expanding access to the pilot Advanced Placement African American Studies course to 26 state high schools for the 2023-2024 school year. The move comes as the Florida Department of Education and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) have launched a review of the course to determine whether it will be allowed in Florida schools.
DESANTIS THREATENS REMOVAL OF ALL AP HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES IN WAR WITH COLLEGE BOARD
To date, only Florida has blocked the course from its high schools. The course was piloted in 60 high schools nationwide in the 2022-2023 school year and is set to expand to 200 high schools in the 2023-2024 school year. The course will be widely available beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
“As governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis prioritize political culture wars ahead of academic success, New Jersey will proudly teach our kids that Black History is American History,” Murphy said in a statement. “While the DeSantis Administration stated that AP African American Studies ‘significantly lacks educational value’, New Jersey will stand on the side of teaching our full history. We will set an example for the nation by demonstrating to our future leaders that our country is the greatest in the world because it is a work in progress, a promise, and an ideal we strive to achieve.”
Criticism of DeSantis was also shared by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D), who embraced the term “woke” while the governor was announcing the expanded availability of the course.
“I don’t have a problem being woke because the opposite of that is being asleep,” Baraka said.
“In order to truly understand the complexities of our nation, students must be able to learn about all the facets of American history,” he added. “The study of African American history is integral in a child’s educational upbringing as it ensures that they learn a complete picture of what makes America, America.”
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In Florida, DeSantis, who is widely seen as a possible front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has made culture war issues, especially related to education, a key part of his policy agenda. On Tuesday, he said that Florida could look to alternative college prep courses instead of the AP classes provided by the College Board.
“AP is kind of with the College Board,” DeSantis said. “Who elected them? Are there other people that provide services? Turns out there are. … It’s not clear to me that this particular operator is the one that’s going to need to be used in the future.”
To date, only Florida has blocked the AP African American Studies course from its high schools. The course was piloted in 60 high schools nationwide in the 2022-23 school year and is set to expand to 200 high schools in the 2023-24 school year. The course will be widely available beginning in the 2024-25 school year.