EDUCATION

There is No Legitimate Reason to Ban an African American AP Course

Resistance throughout the country is rooted in anti-black racism

Woman carrying books | Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels

Far too often, black history is treated like a dusty, neglected book, left on the shelf and rarely opened beyond the first page. And yet, backlash in recent years shows that some people think even a tiny step toward inclusion is a step too far. Indeed, the controversy surrounding an Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies Course illustrates this problem. Even though students are not required to complete this course to graduate, as it’s an elective, it’s attracted the ire of conservative-run state administrations throughout the country, who regularly claim this topic is either too divisive or lacks educational value to justify banning or limiting its availability. Despite the passage of anti-woke and anti-critical race theory legislation, there is no legitimate reason to ban an AP African American Studies Course.

No published studies prove that taking this course causes any harm or discomfort to students who enroll, and thus, there is no evidence that the dangers used to attack the course even exist. Consequently, there is no legitimate reason to ban an African American AP Course. Doing so would only serve to alienate Black students, teachers, and…