On February 1, the first day of Black History Month, The College Board released a statement on the official new framework of the African American Studies AP Course. In the release, they emphasized both the rigor and flexibility of the course. Almost immediately after the statement, the world of education took notice of and reacted to what is no longer included in the framework that was originally part of the pilot program. Many influential Black civil rights activists, writers, and educators were removed from the curriculum, including Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, Kimberlé Crenshaw, bell hooks, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Michelle Alexander, just to name a few. The voices removed share a theme–they explore intersectionality, the queer experience, and Black feminism.
The strongest reaction has been to The College Board’s cowardice in caving to the Florida governor’s criticism of its original framework. The College Board profits (over $1 billion in revenue annually), and far-right politics win plenty. At the same time, the young people of this country continue to lose out on the quality education they deserve.
U.S. High School students generally receive only 1 to 2 lessons or 8–9 percent of class time devoted to Black history. At The Opportunity Network, we work with students of color, most of whom are the first in their families to go to college, to gain the skills, access, networks, and opportunities to build the life they want and deserve. We do this through our 20-year-old comprehensive and rigorous instructional framework - Career FluencyⓇ. We know the power of curriculum. It can be a gatekeeper to knowledge and truth or the key to unlocking new perspectives and broader understanding of our complex world–we built our curriculum to be the latter.
The first college awareness lesson we conduct with our 11th graders covers the history of higher education in America. In that lesson, students learn that “New College,” now known as Harvard University, was founded in 1636. Nearly two centuries later, there were only four African American college graduates in the United States until Oberlin College opened its doors in 1833 to welcome Black and female students. The inclusion of the history of higher education in America at the outset of our programming makes our young people overly aware of whom these spaces were crafted for (introducing them to the term PWI), as well as how long until other communities were acknowledged or even welcomed into this space. In a time when feelings of doubt and lack of belonging are prevalent, examining the inclusion of communities that they identify with directly dispels the notion that people of color do not belong in those spaces.
We have learned that by including the exclusionary and often oppressive history of our institutions and the movements and individuals that forged change, we are also teaching our young people critical thinking, critical consciousness, and self-advocacy. These skills will allow them to interact with, identify, and create spaces that not only welcome them wholly but also value what all other members contribute. Our young people can fully realize their power and beauty and own that they can exist authentically in all spaces.
