Illinois Gov. Pritzker warns College Board against caving to DeSantis on AP African American studies

DeSantis has earned considerable condemnation for the move to bar the course, including from the White House and Florida students, some of whom have threatened to sue him over the decision.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
By Ben Whedon

Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker this week warned the College Board, the organization that oversees Advanced Placement (AP) coursework and exams, against altering the content in its AP African American studies course to comply with Florida law, as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis presses the group to do so.

"I am writing to you today to urge the College Board to preserve the fundamental right to an education that does not follow the political grandstanding of Governor DeSantis and the whims of Republicans in Florida," read the letter from Pritzker.

Pritzker letter to college board

"I am extremely troubled by recent news reports that claim Governor DeSantis is pressuring the College Board to change the AP African American Studies course in order to fit Florida's racist and homophobic laws," Pritzker continued.

Florida bars the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools and significantly restricts the discussion of sexuality with younger students. The state Board of Education earlier this month determined that the content in the AP course included materials that directly violated state law.

Among the materials to which Florida objected, were lessons on "black queer" history, which Pritzker contended were integral parts of an accurate historical narrative.

"Illinois expects any AP course offered on African American Studies to include a factual accounting of history, including the role played by black queer Americans," he warned the College Board. "Illinois will closely examine the official coursework to ensure it includes all necessary history, starting with this nation's foundation built on slavery, the Civil War where this nation reckoned with that history and the decades of rebuilding and efforts of black Americans to continue their fight for equality and equity to this day."

DeSantis has earned considerable condemnation for the move to bar the course, including from the White House and Florida students, some of whom have threatened to sue him over the decision.