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Earlier this month, as part of his dystopian attempt to dictate the topics<\/a> people can and cannot discuss<\/a> in the state of Florida, Ron DeSantis<\/strong>\u2019s administration sent<\/a> a letter to the College Board rejecting a new AP course on African American studies, claiming the class is \u201ccontrary to Florida law\u201d and \u201csignificantly lacks educational value.\u201d Later, the governor elaborated on the state\u2019s objections in a press conference, saying<\/a>: \u201cThis course on Black history, what\u2019s one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids. And so when you look to see they have stuff on intersectionality, abolishing prisons, that\u2019s a political agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n The whole thing was ridiculous and disturbing, but not at all surprising given that DeSantis has spent his time in office signing one absurd law after the next, including one whose obvious intent is to ban conversations<\/a> that could result in white people feeling bad<\/a> about systemic racism, and another that was literally nicknamed \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay<\/a>.\u201d What is<\/em> surprising, you ask? That College Board completely bowed to his demands\u2014and extremely quickly at that!<\/p>\n Per The New York Times<\/em><\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n After heavy criticism from Governor Ron DeSantis, the College Board\u00a0released\u00a0on Wednesday an official curriculum for its new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies\u2014stripped of much of the subject matter that had angered the governor and other conservatives. The College Board purged the names of many Black writers and scholars associated with critical race theory, the queer experience, and Black feminism. It ushered out some politically fraught topics, like Black Lives Matter, from the formal curriculum. And it added something new: \u201cBlack conservatism\u201d is now offered as an idea for a research project.<\/p>\n In its revised 234-page curriculum framework, the content on Africa, slavery, reconstruction, and the civil rights movement remains largely the same. But the study of contemporary topics\u2014including Black Lives Matter, incarceration, queer life, and the debate over reparations\u2014is downgraded. The subjects are no longer part of the exam, and are simply offered on a list of options for a required research project. And even that list, in a nod to local laws, \u201ccan be refined by local states and districts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n According to the Times,<\/em> among the writers and academics removed from the curriculum are Kimberl\u00e9 W. Crenshaw,<\/strong> a Columbia professor whose work has been \u201cfoundational in critical race theory\u201d (i.e., dirty words to DeSantis and Co.); Roderick Ferguson,<\/strong> a Yale professor who has written extensively about queer social movements (see \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay\u201d); and Ta-Nehisi Coates,<\/strong> the celebrated author who has made a strong case for reparations. Gone, too, is bell hooks,<\/strong> the author and activist whose work focused on the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender.<\/p>\n The head of the College Board insisted to the Times<\/em> that the changes to the curriculum had nothing to do with political pressure, saying, \u201cAt the College Board, we can\u2019t look to statements of political leaders,\u201d and that the tweaks came from \u201cthe input of professors\u201d and \u201clongstanding AP principles.\u201d In a Medium post published on Tuesday, more than 200 African American studies teachers condemned DeSantis and his administration, calling<\/a> their actions \u201ccensorship and a frontal attack on academic freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the outcry within academia is unlikely to deter the governor, who this week continued his crusade against free thought (and anyone who isn\u2019t straight) with the announcement<\/a> that he plans to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at every public college in the state. While claiming<\/a> the purpose of the move is to eliminate \u201cideological conformity,\u201d he also said courses on Western civilization would be mandated if his proposal is enacted. Yes, it\u2019s almost as though he did not take a class on \u201cWhat it means to be a colossal hypocrite\u201d at Yale<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Times<\/em> has chosen to frame this as a branding exercise and not the actions of a would-be authoritarian trying to suppress knowledge because he doesn\u2019t like the facts.<\/p>\n Happy Black History Month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n