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The state of Florida Department of Education (DOE) rejected an Advanced Placement (AP) African Studies Course because it lacks educational value and historical accuracy, according to a letter sent to the College Board by the state.
"As submitted, the course is a vehicle for a political agenda and leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow," Bryan Griffin, press secretary to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement. "As Governor DeSantis has stated, our classrooms will be a place for education, not indoctrination."
The course contains tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and elements of queer theory, according to a copy of the syllabus obtained by Fox News Digital.
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A section of the course, titled "African American Studies: Movements and Methods," includes a lesson on "Black Queer Studies" that teaches students about "the concept of the queer of color critique, grounded in Black feminism and intersectionality, as a Black studies lens that shifts sexuality studies toward racial analysis," according to the syllabus.
Kimberlé Crenshaw developed the framework for Critical Race Theory and coined the term "intersectionality," according to the Association of American Law Schools.
"As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value," the DOE rejection letter said. "In the future, should College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, (the education department) will always be willing to reopen the discussion."
The course also "explores concepts such as postracialism, colorblindness, racecraft, or inequality through scholarly text" by authors like Eduardo Bonilla Silva whose book "Racism Without Racists," "documents how, beneath our contemporary conversation about race, there lies a full-blown arsenal of arguments, phrases, and stories that whites use to account for—and ultimately justify—racial inequalities," according to its description.
The College Board said the course is in development and being piloted at 60 high schools across the U.S., before it is expanded nationwide by 2025, according to its website. The course has been in development for more than a decade with the help of "college faculty and teachers across the country" whose "expertise and experience" will provide the basis for "an evidence-based introduction to African American studies."
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"Like all new AP courses, AP African American Studies is undergoing a rigorous, multi-year pilot phase, collecting feedback from teachers, students, scholars and policymakers," the College Board said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard part of any new AP course, and frameworks often change significantly as a result."
The College Board said it plans to publicly release the updated course framework when it is completed, "well before" it is widely available in U.S. high schools.
"We look forward to bringing this rich and inspiring exploration of African-American history and culture to students across the country," the statement added.
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