Nia Hall
Advanced placement classes, or AP classes, are college-level courses that are eligible for high schoolers starting as early as ninth grade. These classes are taught at a faster, more rigorous rate compared to an honors-level class. All 39 courses are created by College Board and require students to take an exam upon completion of classes they have chosen; the exam is graded on a one to five-point scale, with three and up being regarded as “passing.” Students may be able to convert their AP exam results into full or partial college credit at institutions that accept them.
In 2023, College Board announced that after successfully piloting, the AP African American studies course would be widely offered at high schools in the fall. Finally, to have a class dedicated to telling the complete version of African American history instead of the same few topics, and to educate students who don’t know the whole truth and why the black community has always had to fight for everything in this country. However, many people didn’t share my excitement and instead saw the class as a “threat to education.”
Of the 39 different courses, 10 of them are history classes dedicated to government, U.S. history, world history, etc., yet the addition of a black history class upsets people. Students of this generation have become less aware of the ignorance of their words and the attitude they present when it comes to just the conversation about the AP African American course. This is why I believe the AP African American course should be optional in all high schools in the U.S., and if not taken, then mandatory freshman year in college.
College Board announced the AP (Advanced Placement) African American Studies course in May 2020. The College Board created this course as a part of its initiatives to broaden the AP program and give students the chance to learn about a variety of topics, including the history and experiences of African Americans. However, Florida wasted no time showing their distaste for the new advanced placement course; Florida decided in the spring of 2023 that it would not be teaching the class.
As stated in The New York Times, Florida states, “As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.” While it’s essential to address these concerns, it’s worth highlighting that the idea of selective history courses is not unique to Florida.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed laws the year before that limited how racism and other historical topics may be taught in classrooms and workplaces. Sponsors of the legislation dubbed it the Stop WOKE Act. It has been a repeated offense to keep black history out of school classrooms. In the wake of Florida’s decision, Arkansas also eliminated the course, sparking widespread outrage.
The Arkansas Association decried the last-minute removal of the AP African American Studies course, viewing it as another regressive move that perpetuates racial disparities in education. According to the article, The Arkansas Association felt “having this course pulled out from under our students at this late juncture is just another racist move that has already played out in other states,” and I must agree. In light of Florida’s swift decision to forgo the AP African American Studies course, followed by Arkansas’s, these actions, marked by criticisms and allegations of racism, continue to raise concerns about inclusivity and diversity in education.
A crucial argument against the inclusion of the AP African American Studies course is the perception of redundancy. Critics claim that similar topics have been discussed in the past, but the truth is that racial injustice continues to plague American society. Failing to address this issue in an academic setting risks the perpetuation of ignorance and stereotypes. African Americans are the most killed race by police officers, with over 25 murders since 2010.
A day doesn’t go by where black mothers aren’t worried about their son being pulled over and killed by the police like Walter Scot in 2015. A day doesn’t go by that they don’t pray that they aren’t chased down and shot to death, even though his hands were up like Michael Brown. People claim that we keep talking about the same bits of history over and over again, but what’s unfortunate is that history keeps repeating.
The killing of George Floyd was a death that shook the black community. George Floyd was murdered with a knee to the neck for nine minutes by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin. Many people could argue that he was wrong for his actions, but that doesn’t and shouldn’t excuse a police officer who swore to serve and protect all people to publicly display a murder. The sick thought of kneeling on someone’s neck until you see their life slip away is inexcusable and less likely to happen to other races.
Students can learn more about the ongoing struggles African Americans confront, such as systematic racism and police brutality, by studying these events and more in AP African American Studies. Recognizing the need for reform and justice rather than rehashing old grievances is the goal of understanding this history. The brutal killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, etc. serve as a stark reminder that these issues persist and require our collective attention and education to combat hatred and injustice.
The controversy went deeper as the College Board responded to the backlash by modifying the course to make it more “tolerable to teach.” While teaching African American history can be challenging due to the complex and often painful subject matter, history cannot be rewritten or silenced for convenience. Everyone knows how important the Black Lives Matter movement is for African Americans and the change it’s creating for this generation.
The test curriculum included “the origins and mission of the Black Lives Matter movement and Movement for Black Lives.” However, it didn’t last long, with the new curriculum not requiring BLM as a topic of instruction but instead making it a “sample project topic” on a list that the College Board says “can be refined by states and districts.”
Along with BLM, the College Board erased the gay experience and black feminism. The “Black Queer Studies” component of the pilot curriculum mentioned the writings of authors such as Cathy Cohen, Roderick Ferguson, and E. Patrick Johnson. Consequently, the final curriculum only mentioned black lesbians’ sense of exclusion, was not in-depth about the openness and history of identifying as LGBTQ+ in the black community, and only listed “gay life and expression in black communities” as a sample project topic rather than a required topic. It’s essential to recognize that not all history is comfortable, and just like in AP Government, we must confront the uncomfortable truths of our past to become educated people.
It is our responsibility to ensure that all voices and experiences are represented accurately in our education system.
Black history IS American history and should be treated as such. Yes, teaching an African-American class is a heavy subject, but that’s because that’s our history; you can’t try to silence history or rewrite it for your own benefit. Stripping away topics to make them more “bearable” is not an excuse.
In high school, we are old enough to learn the truth about this country’s past and what we must fix for us to be treated equally. Sweeping things under the rug is no longer an option when history that was “so long ago” is repeating. This is why teaching the AP African American Studies class is so important; so people continue to be educated and make things better for future generations. I intend to always be an advocate for black voices, much like when I spoke up against my own classmates.