Why did this school ban books on racism? 3:34
(CNN) — The administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has blocked a new Advanced Placement (AP) course in African American studies for high school students.
In a Jan. 12 letter to the College Board, the nonprofit organization that oversees AP courses, the Florida Department of Education’s (FDOE) Office of Articulation said the course “inexplicably violates Florida law and it is seriously lacking in educational value.”
The letter did not elaborate on what the agency found objectionable about the content of the course. A spokeswoman for the department did not immediately respond to a CNN query.
“If the College Board is willing to come to the table with legally and historically accurate content, the FDOE will always be ready to resume discussion,” the letter reads.
In a statement to CNN, the College Board declined to address Florida’s decision directly, but said, “We look forward to bringing this rich and inspiring exploration of African American history and culture to students across the country.”
The rejection of an Advanced Placement degree program for African Americans follows DeSantis efforts to overhaul Florida’s curriculum to limit critical racial theory classes. In 2021, the state enacted legislation banning teaching of the concept, which explores the history of systemic racism in America and its enduring impact. The law also banned material from The 1619 Project, a New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning project to rewrite American history surrounding the arrival of slave ships on American shores. Last year, DeSantis also signed a bill restricting how schools can discuss race with students.
The College Board announced plans to offer an African American major for the first time last year. The course will be piloted in 60 schools across the country in the 2022-23 school year, with the goal of making the course available to all schools in the 2024-25 school year. The first AP exam for African-American studies would be conducted in spring 2025, according to the College Board’s website.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Florida schools are currently participating in the pilot program. The College Board said the Advanced Placement Program has been working with higher education institutions for a decade to develop an African American studies program.
“Like all new AP courses, AP African-American Studies is going through a rigorous multi-year pilot phase, collecting feedback from teachers, students, academics and policymakers,” the statement said. “The process of piloting and reviewing course frameworks is a standard part of every new AP course, and frameworks often change significantly as a result. We will publicly release the updated course framework as soon as it is complete and well before this course is widely available in American high schools.”
in one Twitter post this WednesdayDemocratic state Senator Shevrin Jones, who is black, noted that Florida offers other AP culture classes.
“This political extremism and its attack on black history and black people will produce an entire generation of black children who cannot be reflected in their own education or their own condition.” said Jones.
DeSantis’ move comes as his standing among conservatives across the country has skyrocketed after publicly taking a stand on current cultural issues and opposing public health officials and bureaucrats during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is said to be considering a possible presidential candidacy in 2024.
A group of Republican lawmakers in Michigan eager to recruit him for the 2024 race signed a letter delivered to the governor of Florida last month, urging him to “seek our Republican Party’s presidential nomination.”
The letter was signed by 18 Republican members of the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives, who wrote that DeSantis is “uniquely and uniquely qualified to provide the leadership and competence sadly lacking at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” They concluded by saying they are “ready and willing to help you win Michigan in 2024.”
The details of the letter were first reported by Politico.
CNN’s David Wright contributed to this report.