After a ton of controversy, the College Board released the new AP African American studies course on Wednesday. The highly anticipated course had been the source of significant debate from conservatives as well as Black scholars who argued that the curriculum released earlier this year was too watered down.
The new framework probably won’t win over many of the scholars who were concerned that the course was not holistic enough when it came to contemporary Black studies. For starters, the course makes studying the Black Lives Matter movement, inarguably one of the most consequential Black modern political movements, optional. The course also doesn’t include queer liberation.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had previously criticized the course, specifically targeting the fact that it previously included the voices of queer Black figures. “Now, who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory,” he said in defense of his decision to attempt to ban the course from being taught in Florida schools.
The Root spoke to Black academics about their concerns that the College Board was caving to critics like DeSantis earlier this year after the non-profit released revisions to their framework in January.
Getting rid of these intersectional voices, especially the voices of LGBTQ+ and women Black scholars who might be considered controversial, is a massive loss, says Howard Professor Jo Von McCalester.
“[It] paints women who desire equality, who desire rights, who desire their own agency as outliers,” says Professor McCalester.
Despite criticism of the course, it has been incredibly popular among students. Roughly 13,000 students across the country have participated in the pilot course during its second year, according to USA Today. But that doesn’t mean the right-wing attacks on teaching this AP or Black studies at all for that matter, will cease.