College Board unveils third and final version of AP African American studies course
Jeremiah Poff
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The College Board released its final version of its AP African American studies course Wednesday, adding another chapter to its nearly yearlong feud with the Florida Department of Education and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
The course framework is the third iteration, coming more than a year after the College Board launched an initial pilot of the course in fall 2022. That version was subsequently banned in Florida because it included such topics as “black queer studies,” which violated the state’s ban on critical race theory in schools.
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“This course is a vibrant introduction to a dynamic field that offers a broader perspective. It invites students to develop analytical skills while examining African Americans’ wide-ranging experiences, contributions, and creativity, and the impact of the broader African diaspora on the world we live in,” Brandi Waters, the College Board’s lead author on the course, said in a press statement. “This is the course I wish I had in high school. I hope every interested student has the opportunity to take it.”
The course, which is eligible for college credit consideration, first entered a pilot phase in the 2022-23 school, with 60 high schools across the country testing out the curriculum. The number of pilot schools expanded for the 2023-24 school year, and the course will be generally available next year.
After the initial row with the Florida government in January, the College Board released an updated framework in February that was widely panned by liberal groups as a capitulation to DeSantis because it did not contain many of the topics that the Florida government had highlighted as problematic. Two months later, the organization announced it would update the course again.
“AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that draws from a variety of fields — history, literature, the arts, geography, science — to explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans, from ancient African societies to the present,” the College Board said in a press release. “As with all AP courses in the history and social sciences, students will apply analysis and research skills as they review primary sources and original artifacts.”
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The revised course framework also includes discussion on contemporary topics such as Black Lives Matter and slavery reparations, but it consigned those topics to a “further explorations” section that will not be part of the course’s final exam, CNN reported.
The Florida Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment.