College Board Responds to Florida's Black History Curriculum Comparisons

Last fall, a classroom at Overland High School in Aurora, Colorado was filled with a pile of books for students enrolled in AP African American Studies. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post/Getty Images)

By: Adonis Armstrong

The College Board is taking a clear stance, expressing disagreement with the idea that slavery benefited African Americans.

On Thursday July 27th, the organization issued a statement on the subject in response to the comparison of one of its courses to Florida's new curriculum on Black history. “We resolutely disagree with the notion that enslavement was in any way a beneficial, productive, or useful experience for African Americans,” the College Board informed CNN. “Unequivocally, slavery was an atrocity that cannot be justified by examples of African Americans’ agency and resistance during their enslavement.”

Remember when Florida wouldn’t allow that AP African American Studies course because it focused too much on CRT and not enough on history, and the @WhiteHouse lost its mind?

Well, here is one of the standards considered “essential knowledge.”

See it here https://t.co/MFjfBjEFc9 pic.twitter.com/s8boDdYzks

— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) July 27, 2023

The board's response to the comparison occurred following Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, sharing a picture of the organization's AP African American studies course on slavery. “Remember when Florida wouldn’t allow that AP African American Studies course because it focused too much on CRT and not enough on history, and the White House lost its mind? Well, here is one of the standards considered ‘essential knowledge,'” he penned.

Amid the approval of new standards for teaching Black history in Florida's public schools, discussions on the subject have surfaced. As part of the new guidelines, middle school teachers are required to incorporate lessons on how slaves developed skills that could be utilized for personal gain.

In a conversation with the outlet, the College Board acknowledged that some individuals pointed out similarities between its course requirements and Florida's new standards. “Unit two of the current framework includes a discussion about the skills enslaved people brought with them that enslavers exploited as well as other skills developed in America that were valuable to their enslavers,” the board stated. “Enslaved Africans and their descendants used those skills to survive, build community, and create culture in resistance to their oppression.” The organization also mentioned the AP African American studies course “will offer a holistic introduction to the history, literature, and arts of Black people in the United States.”

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College Board Makes Changes to AP African American Studies Course Following Backlash

Hundreds of people took part in a protest organized by the National Action Network in reaction to the attempts made by Governor Ron DeSantis to limit inclusive education. The demonstrators marched from Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida to the Capitol building while chanting slogans and holding signs Wednesday, February 15, 2023. USA TODAY

By: Adonis Armstrong

The College Board has announced additional changes to the AP African American Studies course following backlash over the removal of certain topics, which had been criticized by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

The nonprofit organization is responsible for overseeing the Advanced Placement program and standardized tests such as the SAT and PSAT exams, stated that a development committee and experts in the AP program will determine the specific details of these changes over the coming months.

This comes after the College Board engaged in a public dispute with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, and the state's Department of Education. Earlier this year, Florida rejected a preliminary pilot version of the AP African American Studies class, citing a lack of educational value and a state law that prohibits the teaching of critical race theory. He also used his opposition to "wokeness" to gain national attention in the ongoing conversation about how to teach history and address racism in schools, leading to the passage of legislation in Florida that prohibits instruction that implies anyone is privileged or oppressed based on their race or skin color.

The College Board stated their main goal in developing the course was to provide access to a subject that is not commonly available to high school students, and to make this content accessible to as many students as possible. According to the board the AP African American Studies course is currently undergoing a pilot run in 60 high schools, and will be introduced to 800 schools and 16,000 students in the next academic year. The first administration of the AP African American Studies exam is expected to take place in the spring of 2025.

The College Board provides Advanced Placement (AP) courses covering various academic fields, such as mathematics, science, social studies, foreign languages, and fine arts. These courses are not mandatory and are taught at a collegiate level. Typically, students who attain high scores on the final exam are eligible to receive course credit at their university.

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