Critical race theory is a subject that has been thrown around a lot these days, but what is it? Parents have complained that the theory was creeping into their children’s classrooms, however it isn’t. Critical race theory is a theory taught at the graduate school level that states American policies are based in racism. Its whole purpose is to provide students with a way to understand the legacy of racism. The theory has received backlash because people believe that it vilifies white people and pushes a woke political agenda.
After receiving criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the College Board released a revised curriculum for its new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies. The original draft was denounced by the governor as indoctrination. According to the Wall Street Journal, DeSantis said, “We believe in teaching kids facts and how to think, but we don’t believe they should have an agenda imposed on them.”
The new curriculum rids the names of many African American writers and scholars associated with critical race theory, the queer experience, and black feminism. It pushes out topics such as Black Lives Matter and in its place introduces, “Black Conservatism,” according to the New York Times.
Although it may seem like a victory to DeSantis, the College Board says its revisions were completed in December. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, it consulted with over 300 professors of African-American Studies from 200 colleges. The revised curriculum was released on the first day of Black History Month. This was one day after DeSantis proposed a legislative agenda that’d make sure higher education would get rid of any hint of critical race theory and diversity efforts. He did this while mandating teachings based upon Western civilization, which is rooted in European History.
It’s still unclear whether or not the new curriculum meets Florida’s standards. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Florida Department of Education is currently reviewing it for, “corrections and compliance with Florida law,” said Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for DeSantis.
In light of the recent criticism, the new curriculum seemed to rid itself of the politics. The curriculum framework ranges through content on Africa, slavery, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights movement. There’s also content on redlining, discrimination, Afrofuturism, and stories of individual achievement or heroism. However, the study of contemporary topics like incarceration or reparations, are watered down and used as examples of optional projects, according to the New York Times.
AP African-American Studies are influenced by Critical Race Theory and they’re important to help students come to a deep understanding of how our past informs our present. We can’t change our past, but we can learn from it and make conscious efforts to change the present. Among the erased writers and scholars is Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, a law professor at Columbia. When the revised curriculum was released, she said, “I would have made a different choice.” Crenshaw continued, “Even the appearance of bowing to political pressure in the context of new knowledge and ideas is something that should not be done.”
