College Board updates AP African American Studies amid contentious fight in Florida

STATEWIDE — The College Board, the organization overseeing Advanced Placement courses in U.S. high schools, updated the framework for its AP African American Studies course on Wednesday, a class that received major backlash earlier this year from conservative critics.

“This course is a vibrant introduction to a dynamic field that offers a broader perspective," said Dr. Brandi Waters, who served as lead author for the class framework. "It invites students to develop analytical skills while examining African Americans’ wide-ranging experiences, contributions, and creativity, and the impact of the broader African diaspora on the world we live in.”

Waters is the senior director and program manager of African American Studies in the Advanced Placement Program.

The updated course teaches subjects including, but not limited to, the debate on reparations — but excludes mention of the Black queer experience, a topic supporters of the curriculum call “crucial and important” to teach.