In the aftermath of rejecting a proposed pilot program of African American Studies, Florida’s governor and Department of Education are facing heated backlash from members of the black community.
The Backlash
Among the supporters of the African American Studies course at the Florida State Capitol building were members of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus.
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell of Hillsborough County accused DeSantis of “undermining the rights of parents and students to make their own decisions.”
“Black history is American history,” he asserted,“ and ”the truth is the truth.”
State Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-Orange County) said, “It’s time out for hypocrisy!”
“We are told by Ron DeSantis that this time of history has no educational value,“ Thompson said, insisting that ”if it’s not taught then someone needs to be held accountable.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump was also there.
Crump—who came to prominence for representing the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery—warned of legal action on the behalf of three black Florida students, also in attendance, if the course is not implemented.
The AP African American History Course
As previously reported by The Epoch Times, the Florida DOE formally rejected the proposal to include the AP African American History course in the curriculum of any public high school on Jan. 12, because its content conflicted with the state’s guidelines.“As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value,” Diaz said further in his letter, adding that “should College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically-accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion.”
In describing the course, the College Board says the pilot program is “an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with authentic and varied sources,” and “the course focuses on four thematic units that move across the instructional year chronologically, providing students opportunities to examine key topics that extend from the medieval kingdoms of West Africa to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment.”
American History vs Woke Indoctrination
On Jan. 20, Florida Department of Education (DOE) Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. posted a list of concerns the DOE found within the course:- Topic 4.15 Intersectionality and Activism - “a foundation of critical race theory” (banned by Florida by law), which “ranks people based on their wealth, gender, and sexual orientation.”
- Topic 4.19 Black Queer Studies - Included reading is Roderick Ferguson who encourages the development of practices “related to race, class, gender, and sexuality.”
- Topic 4.29 Movements for Black Lives Matter - BLM advocates the elimination of prisons and jails and pushes the idea that there is a “war on Black trans, queer, gender non-conforming, and intersex people.”
- Topic 4.16 Black Feminist Literary Thought - Included reading is Bell Hooks, who advocates intersectionality and states “I began to use the phrase in my work ‘white supremacist capitalist patriarchy’ because I wanted to have some language that would actually remind us continually of the interlocking systems of domination that define our reality.”
- Topic 4.30 The Reparations Movement - “All points and resources advocate for reparations. There is no critical perspective or balancing opinion in this lesson.”
- Topic 4.31 Black Study and Black Struggle in the 21st Century - Included reading is Robin Kelly, who advocates that “activism rather than the university system is the catalyst for social transformation.”
The Negotiations
Despite allegations by Crump that DeSantis is unwilling to “negotiate with the College Board,” a Jan. 24 media advisory obtained by The Epoch Times revealed that the College Board already has plans to “release the official framework” for the AP African American Studies course on Feb. 1, “the first day of Black History Month.”“The framework, under development since March 2022, replaces the preliminary pilot course framework under discussion to date,” the advisory said, adding that “before a new AP course is made broadly available, it is piloted in a small number of high schools to gather feedback from high schools and colleges. The official course framework incorporates this feedback and defines what students will encounter on the AP Exam for college credit and placement.”
It was a message favorably received by Diaz.
“We are glad the College Board has recognized that the originally submitted course curriculum is problematic, and we are encouraged to see the College Board express a willingness to amend,” Diaz said in response to the Board’s concession. “AP courses are standardized nationwide, and as a result of Florida’s strong stance against identity politics and indoctrination, students across the country will consequentially have access to an historically accurate, unbiased course.
“As Governor DeSantis said, African American History is American History, and we will not allow any organization to use an academic course as a gateway for indoctrination and a political agenda,” Diaz concluded. “We look forward to reviewing the College Board’s changes and expect the removal of content on Critical Race Theory, Black Queer Studies, Intersectionality, and other topics that violate our laws.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Diaz, Crump, Thompson, Driskell, Eskamani, and the Florida Legislative Black Caucus.
