ORLANDO, Fla. — The College Board is responding to state officials over Florida’s ban on a new AP African American Studies course.
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The organization released a statement saying it should have addressed the Florida Department of Education sooner.
This statement marks the first time we heard from the College Board since the state rejected the course last month.
Read: What we know about AP African American Studies, and why Florida doesn’t want it
The course is the latest addition to the College Board’s AP program, which allows high school students to take classes for college credit.
The state rejected the program because it included topics like the Black Lives Matter Movement, Black feminism and reparations. The state also questioned the inclusion of some Black authors and historians in writings that discuss critical race theory.
Channel 9 has heard from multiple organizations, elected officials and attorneys about the issue over the past several weeks.
Read: NAACP responds to DeSantis banning AP African American Studies course
Now, the College Board said the dialogue surrounding the course has moved from a healthy debate to misinformation.
In the letter, the College Board addresses its late response to the rejection of the course.
The statement reads,
“We deeply regret not immediately denouncing the Florida Department of Education’s slander, magnified by the DeSantis administration’s subsequent comments, that African American Studies’ lacks educational value.’ Our failure to raise our voice betrayed Black scholars everywhere and those who have long toiled to build this remarkable field.”
Read: Orange County library honors African American literature during Black History Month
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a number of laws to restrict what can be taught in Florida schools. He made a statement about the issue earlier this month.
“Most universities in this country have gone in the direction of using education for ideology,” DeSantis said.
In the letter, the College Board also said the course framework is only an outline, and specific topics were always meant to be optional in the pilot program.
The Florida Department of Education is expected to review the course for AP consideration next fall.
Channel 9 has reached out to the governor’s office for an updated response to the letter and is still awaiting a response.
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