School districts in Georgia have recently canceled Advanced Placement African American Studies courses after the superintendent withheld financial support for them.
Superintendent Richard Woods will reportedly not approve the class to the board for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.
Without his approval, state funding can’t be used to pay for the AP African American Studies.
Per the spokesperson for the state Department of Education, the classes may be offered using local funding at this point. AP credit points may be given to those who choose to take it. A state-funded and designed African American Studies class may also be taken, although it won’t be able to go towards AP credit.
BREAKING: State Superintendent Richard Woods is removing AP African American Studies from local school district’s curriculum.
— Rev. James “Major” Woodall, Sr. (@iMajorWish) July 22, 2024
We need all parents and concerned citizens to reach out to demand the course be approved. #GaPol
P: 404-657-1175
E: state.superintendent@doe.k12.ga.us pic.twitter.com/3dfAyWvzSl
In response, Gwinnett County announced that they’ll be moving the course; approximately 240 students will have to have their schedules changed just two weeks before school starts.
“The fact that AP African American studies was removed from our schools is alarming and an injustice to our students who eagerly anticipated taking this course,” said state Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat from Lilburn, per a new statement. “Erasure of Black history from our schools is not and never will be okay!”
The announcement that no financial support will be shown for AP African American Studies from the state comes months after the College Board made changes to the lessons.
In Dec. 2023, they announced that Black Lives Matter, reparations for enslavement and Black queer life will not be discussed as part of the coursework.
Although the College Board said that the changes were made prior to objections, the eliminations were believed to be linked to Republican backlash to AP African American Studies.
Since 2021, Republican leaders in 44 states have attempted to remove lessons about race and racism from curriculums.
In June, South Carolina became the third state to restrict Advanced Placement African American Studies. The state eliminated the course, offering it only as a local class without obtaining college credit.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis also rejected the course in Florida schools in 2023, drawing a wave of backlash for his attempt to censor history. Announced as part of his presidential run, DeSantis claimed the course enforced a political agenda.
State leaders in Arkansas also banned AP African American Studies, claiming that it was unsuitable for the courses they’d like to offer their students.
Following the announcement that South Carolina schools would not be offering the course, a group of nonprofits, including the NAACP, spoke out against the move.
“Classrooms must not be used as a cudgel to silence the voices and deny the experiences of Black people and other historically marginalized groups. All South Carolinians suffer if those charged with educating students cannot draw from the full well of truth and facts necessary to perform their jobs effectively and equitably,” they wrote.
“We therefore request that the SDOE immediately restore the course code for AP African American Studies, cease its expansive assault on racially inclusive school curricula and advance a statewide agenda that fosters educational equity and positive school climates for all students, especially Black students.”
