Banning of the African American AP Course: A Threat To Academic Freedom “If Liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” - George Orwell. This quote perfectly describes the recent banning of an African American AP course in Florida. Teaching a course about African American history, and all the hardships African Americans had to go through is something many people don’t want to hear. The course itself was worked on by over 300 teachers and 200 colleges across the country. It had already gone through revision, removing topics like Black Queer Studies, Intersectionality, and Black Lives Matter, as well as scholars such as Kimberle Crenshaw. Currently, it includes history from the African Kingdoms, …show more content…
There has been evidence of many positive effects of taking a cultural course. AP courses by themselves can be a big help to students, it gives college credit which helps save money for college. As stated by BestCollege, “All students benefit from ethnic studies — both academically and culturally. Yet AP courses have historically excluded ethnic studies.” also saying, “Positive high school experiences encourage students to pursue advanced educational options. When ethnicity is taught in AP courses, students of color see themselves reflected within the curricula. And they are more likely to enroll in these courses.” Removing a cultural AP course, something that people can relate to, or are interested in can damage their future. Many people struggle with paying for college, so AP courses can help them realize their dreams. AP courses also advance learning and can help students figure out what their passion is. An African American cultural course can also help people connect with their culture and their past. People who struggle to understand people from other cultures would also benefit from taking cultural studies, improving teamwork and understanding. Cultural courses have also been shown to improve student attendance and increase academic performance. A course about African American history also increases awareness about racial inequality today. Racism is still a …show more content…
They think that the course is politically biased and focuses too much on America’s bad spots, such as racism, discrimination, and marginalization. Florida could also be scared that drawing attention to the unfair hardships that African Americans faced could lead to reparations for African Americans. These speculations are completely false, the course is simply an informational class on African history. There is no evidence that the course forces its students to blindly accept what it teaches. The course does not focus on specific parts that make America look bad, it shows the bad and the good. It simply teaches the plain facts of African history and is not attacking America in any way. Plus, making a completely un-political African American course is impossible. An excerpt from an article in Vox News says this, “You cannot have a non-political African American studies course because its whole invention, its raison d’être came out of political struggle,” said Kelley, a professor of history at UCLA and one of the authors omitted from the new version of the framework. “You can’t professionalize something that was actually created in the midst of protests.” Their history is so intertwined with politics and unsavory topics that removing that will not provide a complete