The new Advanced Placement African American studies course was unveiled on the first day of Black History Month amid speculation that controversial subjects, such as Black Lives Matter and reparations, were expunged to avoid conservative political backlash. While the College Board denied that the curriculum was watered down, the flap has again raised questions about the oversize role the private nonprofit plays in shaping U.S. education.
The College Board has provided several explanations of how the AP African American studies course was developed over several years, each time causing critics to sink further into disbelief. Yes, the course was developed under advisement of hundreds of African American studies experts, including Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. And yes, the board incorporated feedback from 60 teachers trying out a pilot course in high schools nationwide.
But the College Board ultimately decides what goes into the courses and exams. Now, it seems there is nothing the board can do to convince critics that it did not water down AP African American studies to avoid the wrath of conservative politicians, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose administration first threatened to block the curriculum. He later threatened to halt state funding for AP programs. Florida is a major customer of the College Board, with the highest AP exam participation rate in the country.
