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african american studies
Arkansas Schools Will Teach AP African American Studies, Defying GOP Law
Educators will teach the course despite the fact that the law also weakens rules protecting them against unjust dismissals.
Aug 17, 2023
Despite a threat this week by the Arkansas Department of Education that it would not allow students to receive credit for Advanced Placement African American Studies, every public high school in Arkansas that previously offered the course announced that it will remain on their schedules for the coming school year.
The Arkansas Education Association, which represents unionized teachers across the state, applauded the Little Rock School District's decision on Wednesday to continue offering the AP course in defiance of Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' signature law banning so-called "indoctrination" in public schools.
April Reisma, president of the union, told The New York Times that the school district's decision was "bold" considering the law, called the Arkansas LEARNS Act, also repealed decades-old laws that protected teachers from being dismissed without notice.
Teachers who will offer the class "are very scared," Reisma told the Times. "They can be let go at any moment for any reason."
Earlier this week, the state Education Department said if schools proceed with AP African American studies, the course would not count as credit toward graduation, and said it will not provide students with assistance if they can't afford the $98 fee to take the final test.
In a letter to students and parents on Wednesday the Little Rock School District (LRSD) said the class "will be weighted the same as all other AP courses" and that the district will cover the cost of taking the exam.
"Our educators are committed to providing engaging and thought-provoking lessons that encourage critical thinking, empathy, and a deep appreciation for cultural diversity," said the district.
In addition to Little Rock Central High School—the first in the nation to be racially integrated in 1957, over the objections of racist white people—high schools in Jonesboro, Jacksonville, and North Little Rock also said they will offer the course.
Huckabee Sanders' move banning the teaching of material that "would indoctrinate students with ideologies" followed a similar law in Florida. In July, a federal judge blocked another law passed by Arkansas' Republican Legislature which criminalized librarians who distributed materials that were deemed "harmful to minors."
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We Need More, Not Less, Education on Black History and Structural Racism
American history is wrought with the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we provide access to comprehensive educational opportunities for all students, it instills resilience and empathy for the shared American experience.
Feb 09, 2023
On the first day of Black History month, the College Board stripped down AP African American History, removing references to elements of Black history that some called “politicizing” or “woke indoctrination.” This is a part of a national wave to erase and rewrite Black history--which is, by the way, American history. Proposed state legislation in Missouri, as well as laws passed in Iowa and Florida, uses phrases like “parents’ rights” to justify the banning of books and erasing images, stories and history of Black life from the k-12 curriculum. But I would suggest that what we need is more, not less, education on structural racism and Black history.
I teach college students about the history of the American school. My students graduated from high school, performing strongly enough to gain admission to a highly ranked university. Yet they often have a limited understanding of racism and the systemic exclusion of specific groups of people in our history. Many of these students, mostly white and from relatively privileged backgrounds, say that they did not learn enough about Black history. They aren’t happy about it either. They are disappointed in us, disappointed that we are not preparing them for the world they are entering.
Here in my own state, Missouri, lawmakers last week hotly debated new legislation introducing sweeping language on what parents can object to teaching and giving them the power to remove content from the curriculum: the law calls this “transparency.” Missouri is following in the wake of other states attempting to remove "divisive" subjects from public schools. In April, Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. act restricted the way teachers could discuss Black (again, American) history. Meanwhile, Iowa is experiencing widespread book bans: Des Moines’s largest metro school district may ban six books, including Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer.
The wording of much of this legislation portrays a failure of education, because it distorts or misrepresents what is actually being taught. For instance, conservative lawmakers conflate the teaching of history with critical race theory. They argue that teaching about past racist policies like segregation somehow accuses white learners of themselves being racist. Statements like Missouri State Senator Andrew Koenig’s claim that “"CRT-type things are being done," betray a vagueness and absence of nuance that no self-respecting high school teacher would tolerate in an essay. Koenig has further claimed that teaching about the historic exclusion of different groups from the basic rights and provisions in America is “white-shaming.” But what I find shameful is that our legislators don’t understand American history enough to comprehend that racism is, in fact, endemic, and that their actions this week (at the start of Black History Month no less) attest to that. This legislation is in fact a continuation of structural racism that is as old as America itself.
Perhaps if these lawmakers themselves had learned more about Black history, and indigenous history, and yes, even critical race theory, in middle and high school, they would have a more informed and nuanced view of the importance of history.
These lawmakers might then understand the implications of their actions. Determined families will ensure their children receive this education regardless of support at the school, district, local, or state level. Yet we cannot ignore that legislative action to limit education and continue to force Black history to the margins, outside of the walls and light of the school building, feels a lot like a return to learning in secret, like the “pit schools” of the south--literal pits in the ground concealed in the woods where enslaved people were forced to hide so they could learn to read and write. In Iowa, we are already seeing a resurgence of supplementary education, as legislation has left students, teachers, and administrators with few tools to expand access to these curricula, and have thus resulted to teach-ins, Saturday and evening schools, and other unsanctioned methods to provide the education students are demanding.
To be sure, legislators argue that important aspects of Black history, such as slavery and civil rights, will continue to be covered in the standard US History curriculum. But the stories of slavery and the civil rights movement are not the sum of the Black experience. Depictions of Black people in those two components history are not the only images my kids should have. In fact, if our children learn that slavery and the fight for civil rights are the sum total of Black history, that could leave white students feeling more shamed than ever, ironically contradicting the legislation Koenig is working so hard to enact.
American history is wrought with the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we provide access to comprehensive educational opportunities for all students, it instills resilience and empathy for the shared American experience. Comprehensive K-12 education needs to be more, not less inclusive. Comprehensive K-12 education needs to include an unbiased 360-degree rendition of historical facts in relevant cultural contexts. It needs to teach key elements of critical race theory, such as that racism is in fact endemic to American life, that our current social contexts are a reflection of the structural racism and inequity of the past and present. While the nature of education is teaching society's past, teaching the truth allows for greater acceptance when everyone shares the real experiences and real history of the people in society. If we teach more, not less, American history including the fullness of the Black experience, we will create better, emotionally intelligent leaders, more able to critically consider the complex realities of the American experience and better able to help us create a more equitable world. By knowing real history, future generations (and hopefully our legislators) will be more informed to not repeat mistakes of the past.Keep ReadingShow Less
Ron DeSantis' Attack on African American Studies Is Part of His Larger Goal: To Destroy Public Education
Florida's Republican governor is neither an educator nor a historian. And what he's doing is cynical, dangerous, and a direct assault on our children and the fabric of this nation.
Feb 02, 2023
As a Black girl growing up in Philadelphia, I was fortunate that my late father, a history teacher, taught my sisters and me (and his students) about the important role our enslaved ancestors and other Black people have played in the struggle and progress that has made America what it is today. All of the educators I know understand that an accurate, well-rounded and inclusive education – one where every student sees themselves and others – fosters joy in learning and a deep understanding of the beauty and complexity of our full American story.
Most of us believe that all children, no matter where they live or how much money their parents make, deserve an honest and accurate public education. They want an education that teaches critical thinking and how to learn from mistakes to make a better future. By supporting culturally responsive education that includes students’ diverse history, cultures, families and communities, we enable students to see themselves in what they learn, to have strong relationships with each other and their educators, and to understand the world in which they live.
This is what public education is about.
Blocking AP African American Studies
So, you can’t blame the majority of us who oppose the chilling attack on our youth and our educators by some governors and elected officials. These are politicians who seek to divide parents and educators in order to deny our students their right to resources and their ability to be reflected and respected at school.
Giving us clarity:DeSantis blocks an AP African American studies course – and reveals his true colors
The latest example of this disturbing trend is the recent action by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to block a new Advanced Placement African American Studies course from being taught to high school students. For DeSantis, blocking AP African American Studies is a part of a cheap, cynical and dangerous political ploy to drive division and chaos into public education debates.
He seeks to distract communities from his real agenda, which is to first whitewash and then dumb down public education as an excuse to privatize it. His ultimate goal? The destruction of public education, the very foundation of our democracy.
It won’t work. Parents, students, educators, and yes, voters, will continue to reject these efforts to distract us from their failures to provide students with what they need to thrive.
And there are real consequences, not only to the strength of our democracy but also to our students.
The right to learn about others
During my visit to Florida, I listened to Elijah, Juliette and Victoria answer the question, “How does this ban impact you?” Their cogent, eloquent and passionate answers reminded me how amazing our students are. They understand.
As two Black students and one white student, describing the loss of opportunity to learn about themselves and each other, they reflected what is the best of America. Our beautiful diversity. Our unwavering determination. Our constant striving to be better. To be free to learn. And grow. Together.
These brilliant students know the importance of the right to see themselves mirrored in the images and information they receive in school. They talked about the right to learn about others so they can be the critical thinkers and collaborative problem solvers we need them to be.
Ubiquitous slur:DeSantis and GOP fight 'woke' because hating a word is easier than hating people
Preparing students with more knowledge, not less, is essential for an America that prides itself in having a free marketplace of ideas. This is why it is outrageous to see DeSantis and some other elected officials working to substitute their personal political ideology for well-developed, educator-led curricula. Gov. DeSantis is neither an educator nor a historian.
Consider the message the Florida Department of Education is sending to students when it says an AP African American history class “significantly lacks educational value.” State officials are telling all students, of all races, that African American history has no value and should play no part in their education. The message to all Florida students is damaging and dangerous.
We must learn about our nation's sins
My father taught me the importance of learning about the sins of slavery, the evils of Jim Crow, the impact that structural racism has had on our country’s ability to live up to its highest ideals. Learning about both the progress and setbacks, the cultures and experiences of the gorgeous mosaic of people in our diverse nation that are a part of the story of America is a necessary part of our continued journey toward “We the People.”
'History' more recent than you think:Pam's experience at my 1960s white school is the history we need to teach. Not ignore.
Educators have known this all along: A well-rounded education that is culturally responsive and racially inclusive benefits all students – white, Black, brown, Asian American and Pacific Islander, LGBTQ – and is the most effective pedagogical approach.
Students who participate in ethnic studies and have access to a curriculum that honors their cultural assets and provides them with the tools to critique inequality are more engaged and perform better academically. A full and honest curriculum facilitates the core goals of public education: promoting democracy by preparing children for citizenship and cultivating a workforce that can compete in the global marketplace.
I am so very proud of the people who have dedicated their lives to educating the students of America – the educators who through pedagogically sound, age-appropriate curricula and teaching standards help students understand our collective past, spark curiosity and critical thinking, and prepare all students to meet the challenges of our multicultural present and future.
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