High schoolers in Florida began the school year with the loss of two AP courses: AP Psychology and AP African-American Studies. Near the beginning of 2023, it was ruled that AP African-American Studies was no longer being offered to Floridian high schoolers. AP Psychology followed suit with the ban going into effect in early August.
“I heard the news from the statement that College Board put out,” Eunice Chen (12) said.
For the 30 years that AP Psychology has been taught, College Board has asked that students be able to describe how sex and gender influence development and socialization. The content regarding sexuality and gender had not been challenged until now. The Florida state government deemed the discussion of these topics as inappropriate.
“It was all very appropriate content, all the information is based in science, it is all facts. It’s like learning anything in any other class,” Chen said.
Some students oppose the ban and do not agree with its reasoning.. Some argue that even if someone does not agree with the content regarding sexuality and gender, people should be aware of it.
“I don’t think it should be banned. The reasons they are banning it are things people should be aware of,” Chen said. “Regardless if you agree with it, it’s someone else’s life. You need to respect it. It’s another person’s identity. We shouldn’t try to erase that.”
AP African-American Studies was also banned in the state of Florida. Florida, like Tennessee, has a policy in which teachers are not allowed to teach or discuss Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT is the idea that racial bias is very apparent in western society; especially in regards to social and political institutions. Similar to the perceived issues with AP Psychology, state governments believe that CRT forces an agenda onto students that is not appropriate and some even believe that it simply does not exist.
“I definitely disagree with the [AP African-American Studies] class being banned. It’s a disservice to students who won’t have access to this knowledge. Especially students of color. This is their history. They need to hear it,” Matthew Kelly (12) said.
Some who have taken AP African-American Studies believe that the ban is a detriment to those who want to take the tests in states like Florida and Tennessee. They question whether or not students are getting the full history. These students believe that it is difficult to explain the full history and present-day effects of history without acknowledging CRT.
“In my opinion, there isn’t a way to have one without the other. You can’t discuss African-American history without acknowledging critical race theory,” Kelly said.
All of these bans bring up a critical question: do states have the right to censor content in the classroom? Legally, state governments are responsible for the education within their jurisdiction, meaning that they have the power. However, state governments asserting their power to remove classes based on certain content affects students who are seeking to learn. Personal beliefs wrapped up within politics have taken the right away for these students to freely learn in an unbiased environment.
“Everyone should have access to the same education, regardless of the state they are in and which way the state leans politically,” Kelly said.