Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Administration Blocks AP African American History Course From High Schools
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Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Ron DeSantis
The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected a new Advanced Placement course on African American history, saying in a letter that the course "lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law."
"In the future, 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," reads the letter, which was sent to the College Board from the Florida Department of Education Office of Articulation.
CBS News reports that the letter does not specify what, exactly is inaccurate about the course, which is now in a pilot phase in 60 high schools around the country.
According to TIME, the course covered more than 400 years of African American history and is the College Board's first new offering since 2014.
The College Board itself describes the course as interdisciplinary and reaching "into a variety of fields—literature, the arts and humanities, political science, geography, and science—to explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans."
Speaking to reporters in a Friday afternoon press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the decision to block the course "incomprehensible," saying: "These types of actions aren't new, especially from what we're seeing from Florida, sadly."
The decision to block the AP course comes on the heels of DeSantis' signing of a controversial legislation that opponents have denounced as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
The "Parental Rights in Education" bill — which took effect in July — blocks certain LGBTQ topics in the third grade or younger or "in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."
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DeSantis is also the proponent of the "Stop WOKE" Act, a measure that prohibits teaching certain concepts related to race. The bill
In his January inauguration speech, DeSantis slammed what he called "philosophical lunacy" in schools, saying: "We must ensure that our institutions of higher learning are focused on academic excellence and the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of trendy ideologies."
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DeSantis has been widely rumored to be mulling a run for president in 2024, though he has remained tight-lipped on his plans, telling reporters in 2021 that a White House bid is not on his radar.
"I just do my job and we work hard … I hear all this stuff and honestly it's nonsense," he said at the time.
