NAACP responds to DeSantis banning AP African American Studies course

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said they would work with black legislators to intervene after Gov. Ron DeSantis banned a specific course.

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The state had banned an AP African American Studies class from being taught in Florida schools.

Florida had made national headlines after declaring the course was based on critical race theory and violated state law.

Read: What we know about AP African American Studies, and why Florida doesn’t want it

Leon Russell, chairman of the NAACP board, spoke at the Rosen Center Hotel Saturday. He called Florida’s ban of the course the “politics of hatred and atheism.”

“We will not allow public officials to rip our part of American history out of textbooks, out of the classroom and out of the mouths of teachers,” Russell said.

The NAACP said the decision to reject the College Board’s class was an attempt to whitewash history and ignore the experiences and contributions of black people in America.

Read: Some teachers removing classroom libraries to comply with new Florida rules, officials say

This ban is the latest change to what educators can teach in Florida classrooms.

Many teachers are removing classroom libraries because of restrictions on which books are allowed in state schools. These rules would also allow parents to challenge any book they deem inappropriate.

Read: Ben Crump threatens to sue DeSantis for rejecting AP African-American Studies course

Attorney Ben Crump announced he plans to sue the state of Florida over banning the AP course.

But this ban may not be the final decision, as the Florida Department of Education may reconsider if the College Board is willing to come back to the table with “lawful, historically accurate content.”

College Board also announced it would be making revisions to the class material and it would be unveiled on Feb. 1.

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