Florida bans AP African-American Studies course from schools

[Anonymous]

I thought that politicians where supposed to be kept out of education? What if the parents and staff in an African American heavy school district in Florida signed a petition fighting this ban. Would they have a shot ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Florida has elaborated on their reasoning. Some of it is problematic and some of it is (seemingly) correct.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-department-of-education-gives-bizarre-reasoning-for-banning-ap-african-american-history

This article was nearly incoherent. The Florida Sec of Education posted on twitter a pretty little graphic which claims to present their issues with the course. Heaven forbid they present their complaints in a competently-argued written document.



It's funny they object to Angela Davis, when she is specifically mentioned as worthy of study in Florida's own African-American History Standards
https://afroamfl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/AAHTF-Instructional-Standards-July-2021.pdf (p. 111)

The other scholars and writers they mention by name are all well-known college professors, leading scholars in the field, including at least one Guggenheim fellow.

Even this middle-aged white woman can see that this is purposeful racism to raise DeSantis' status with Trump's base.

+1. This isn't a justification that makes sense. In fact, it just makes it clear that the actual objection is to students learning ABOUT forbidden ideas like intersectionality. The response to Angela Davis is simply that she's a Marxist? Is learning about Marxism now forbidden? I'd expect a college level class like this to be able to read Marx himself without interference from the state. It doesn't mean you have to agree or accept them ideas, but you should be able to hear about them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the current trend was to abolish all AP courses in public schools as such courses discriminate against URM?

Yup.

Except this course was developed to promote racism and hate and "progressive" politics so it was an exception to the rule.

How? By teaching about African history— in African and the diaspora? By teaching about black artists, scientists, musicians? By reading Toni Morrison? Even discussing the concept of reparations has merit if your goal is to create a critical thinker who can explain the pros and cons.

The Tulsa Race Massacre, the Tuskegee experiments , the Tuskegee airmen, the Harlem Renaissance, the fact that some slave owners were Black, the history of Africa and Africans selling their own people into slavery— these are some of the topics covered. I didn’t learn about any of these in school. Did you?

One of the most popular courses at my university was African American history 1 and 2.

The class was popular student body wide. It was a really hard class in the sense that the subject matter was heavy and not easy to hear, read and absorb. The class was galvanizing, it made me think and feel. It made me angry, mournful, empathetic and in the end proud of the resilience of those who came before. That class that forever changed the way I looked at my country and my fellow country men. It was a powerful experience. It is American history and a very significant part of it that more people should be exposed to.

I was taught that the value in education was not in the monetary worth of it but that it is the only thing that once obtained can’t be taken away from you, you can take a persons livelihood, their freedom, their family and their health but you can’t take away an education. Their is nothing else you can obtain in this life that has that power.

This is the fear of these crazy anti education republicans. An educated electorate is a danger to their hate fueled existence. Not for the reasons that they are willing to speak of, not the anti white nonsense they spout off about but for the part they don’t speak of, that is that if this country actually dealt openly with its past then they’d lose one of their best bogeyman wedge issues. DeSantis is disgusting.

As a Jew, I would not want the holocaust taught from the perspective of all Germans were responsible.

Where in the syllabus does it say that all Americans were responsible?

The generalization is ‘white people’ . There were plenty of white people who took part in the Underground Railroad, just like there were plenty of Germans that hid the Jews to protect them.

Where in the syllabus does it say that all white people were responsible?

We already know that’s what’s being taught in colleges, and how white people are supposed to apologize for their privilege. Do I expect all Germans to apologize for the Holocaust? No. That’s ridiculous

No, but all Germans should be aware of what their nation did in the past. They need to understand how and why their predecessors went down that path.

And I’m pretty sure they do that in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the current trend was to abolish all AP courses in public schools as such courses discriminate against URM?

Yup.

Except this course was developed to promote racism and hate and "progressive" politics so it was an exception to the rule.

How? By teaching about African history— in African and the diaspora? By teaching about black artists, scientists, musicians? By reading Toni Morrison? Even discussing the concept of reparations has merit if your goal is to create a critical thinker who can explain the pros and cons.

The Tulsa Race Massacre, the Tuskegee experiments , the Tuskegee airmen, the Harlem Renaissance, the fact that some slave owners were Black, the history of Africa and Africans selling their own people into slavery— these are some of the topics covered. I didn’t learn about any of these in school. Did you?

One of the most popular courses at my university was African American history 1 and 2.

The class was popular student body wide. It was a really hard class in the sense that the subject matter was heavy and not easy to hear, read and absorb. The class was galvanizing, it made me think and feel. It made me angry, mournful, empathetic and in the end proud of the resilience of those who came before. That class that forever changed the way I looked at my country and my fellow country men. It was a powerful experience. It is American history and a very significant part of it that more people should be exposed to.

I was taught that the value in education was not in the monetary worth of it but that it is the only thing that once obtained can’t be taken away from you, you can take a persons livelihood, their freedom, their family and their health but you can’t take away an education. Their is nothing else you can obtain in this life that has that power.

This is the fear of these crazy anti education republicans. An educated electorate is a danger to their hate fueled existence. Not for the reasons that they are willing to speak of, not the anti white nonsense they spout off about but for the part they don’t speak of, that is that if this country actually dealt openly with its past then they’d lose one of their best bogeyman wedge issues. DeSantis is disgusting.

As a Jew, I would not want the holocaust taught from the perspective of all Germans were responsible.

Where in the syllabus does it say that all Americans were responsible?

The generalization is ‘white people’ . There were plenty of white people who took part in the Underground Railroad, just like there were plenty of Germans that hid the Jews to protect them.

Where in the syllabus does it say that all white people were responsible?

We already know that’s what’s being taught in colleges, and how white people are supposed to apologize for their privilege. Do I expect all Germans to apologize for the Holocaust? No. That’s ridiculous

No, but all Germans should be aware of what their nation did in the past. They need to understand how and why their predecessors went down that path.

And I’m pretty sure they do that in school.

They wouldn’t if someone like Desantis was in charge.

[Anonymous]

Florida opposes this but is ok with European History, Asian History and Culture, Latin American culture....gee, I wonder what is different?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Florida opposes this but is ok with European History, Asian History and Culture, Latin American culture....gee, I wonder what is different?

Some of the most controversial issues wrt Black issues of today are presented in an advocacy position, according to the curriculum. The most important topics are treated without critical debate. Teachers may improve the discussion, not if they only follow the SP guidelines, that won't happen.

Is that similar to European culture, Latin American culture, Asian culture?

[Anonymous]

And the “don’t say gay” bill isn’t an advocacy position ?

All I am seeing is that any view that isn’t told from the perspective of white heterosexual men is advocacy and shouldn’t be allowed in schools.

Feminism= bad
Intersectionality= bad
Queer= bad
Black lives=bad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Florida opposes this but is ok with European History, Asian History and Culture, Latin American culture....gee, I wonder what is different?

Some of the most controversial issues wrt Black issues of today are presented in an advocacy position, according to the curriculum. The most important topics are treated without critical debate. Teachers may improve the discussion, not if they only follow the SP guidelines, that won't happen.

Is that similar to European culture, Latin American culture, Asian culture?

^^^ I should add, it's clear that FL and DeSantis are merely politically grandstanding by this stunt. But I think this course needs a closer look and needs to be revised. Overall, if such a class is a good idea for high schoolers, then I think it looks good overall but needs more balance and some more respect for Black culture as it is rather than how some want to see it.

[Anonymous]

Botton line here: DeSantis is making this move to please his base and continue raising his national profile. The merits or non-merits of the specific curriculum in question are beside the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the “don’t say gay” bill isn’t an advocacy position ?

All I am seeing is that any view that isn’t told from the perspective of white heterosexual men is advocacy and shouldn’t be allowed in schools.

Feminism= bad
Intersectionality= bad
Queer= bad
Black lives=bad

I was thinking about reparations, fwiw.

I think the treatment of religion and faith in Black culture was not the best way to present the topic. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Florida opposes this but is ok with European History, Asian History and Culture, Latin American culture....gee, I wonder what is different?

Gee, those met FL standards, and the new Woke Studies didn't Gee Gee?

[Anonymous]

It’s an optional class! An optional class for predominantly 16-18 year olds who are old enough to decide on the merits of a class themselves before opting to take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the current trend was to abolish all AP courses in public schools as such courses discriminate against URM?

Yup.

Except this course was developed to promote racism and hate and "progressive" politics so it was an exception to the rule.

How? By teaching about African history— in African and the diaspora? By teaching about black artists, scientists, musicians? By reading Toni Morrison? Even discussing the concept of reparations has merit if your goal is to create a critical thinker who can explain the pros and cons.

The Tulsa Race Massacre, the Tuskegee experiments , the Tuskegee airmen, the Harlem Renaissance, the fact that some slave owners were Black, the history of Africa and Africans selling their own people into slavery— these are some of the topics covered. I didn’t learn about any of these in school. Did you?

One of the most popular courses at my university was African American history 1 and 2.

The class was popular student body wide. It was a really hard class in the sense that the subject matter was heavy and not easy to hear, read and absorb. The class was galvanizing, it made me think and feel. It made me angry, mournful, empathetic and in the end proud of the resilience of those who came before. That class that forever changed the way I looked at my country and my fellow country men. It was a powerful experience. It is American history and a very significant part of it that more people should be exposed to.

I was taught that the value in education was not in the monetary worth of it but that it is the only thing that once obtained can’t be taken away from you, you can take a persons livelihood, their freedom, their family and their health but you can’t take away an education. Their is nothing else you can obtain in this life that has that power.

This is the fear of these crazy anti education republicans. An educated electorate is a danger to their hate fueled existence. Not for the reasons that they are willing to speak of, not the anti white nonsense they spout off about but for the part they don’t speak of, that is that if this country actually dealt openly with its past then they’d lose one of their best bogeyman wedge issues. DeSantis is disgusting.

As a Jew, I would not want the holocaust taught from the perspective of all Germans were responsible.

Where in the syllabus does it say that all Americans were responsible?

The generalization is ‘white people’ . There were plenty of white people who took part in the Underground Railroad, just like there were plenty of Germans that hid the Jews to protect them.

Where in the syllabus does it say that all white people were responsible?

We already know that’s what’s being taught in colleges, and how white people are supposed to apologize for their privilege. Do I expect all Germans to apologize for the Holocaust? No. That’s ridiculous

No, but all Germans should be aware of what their nation did in the past. They need to understand how and why their predecessors went down that path.

And I’m pretty sure they do that in school.

Yes and they all have field trips to concentration camps.

And there are no monuments to Nazis in town centers. No streets or schools named after Nazis either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Florida has elaborated on their reasoning. Some of it is problematic and some of it is (seemingly) correct.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-department-of-education-gives-bizarre-reasoning-for-banning-ap-african-american-history

This article was nearly incoherent. The Florida Sec of Education posted on twitter a pretty little graphic which claims to present their issues with the course. Heaven forbid they present their complaints in a competently-argued written document.



It's funny they object to Angela Davis, when she is specifically mentioned as worthy of study in Florida's own African-American History Standards
https://afroamfl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/AAHTF-Instructional-Standards-July-2021.pdf (p. 111)

The other scholars and writers they mention by name are all well-known college professors, leading scholars in the field, including at least one Guggenheim fellow.

Even this middle-aged white woman can see that this is purposeful racism to raise DeSantis' status with Trump's base.

+1. This isn't a justification that makes sense. In fact, it just makes it clear that the actual objection is to students learning ABOUT forbidden ideas like intersectionality. The response to Angela Davis is simply that she's a Marxist? Is learning about Marxism now forbidden? I'd expect a college level class like this to be able to read Marx himself without interference from the state. It doesn't mean you have to agree or accept them ideas, but you should be able to hear about them.

What’s weird about this is that they quote random things from authors that are not necessarily in the curriculum that will be studied and is appropriate for high schoolers.

For example, let’s look at James Joyce. No one would argue that he shouldn’t be studied in AP Literature. Yet, at the same time, students will NOT be reading his disgustingly sexual letters to his wife Nora, where he goes on and on about wanting to sniff her farts during moments of sexual arousal. Completely inappropriate for a high school lit class. Yet, James Joyce is not banned from high schools.

This document is Strawman after Strawman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the “don’t say gay” bill isn’t an advocacy position ?

All I am seeing is that any view that isn’t told from the perspective of white heterosexual men is advocacy and shouldn’t be allowed in schools.

Feminism= bad
Intersectionality= bad
Queer= bad
Black lives=bad

I was thinking about reparations, fwiw.

I think the treatment of religion and faith in Black culture was not the best way to present the topic. Etc.

Florida literally gave reparations to black residents of white mob violence. That’s what is so laughable/cringe about DeSantis and his toadies.