White House decries DeSantis' 'incomprehensible' cancellation of AP African American Studies

Under DeSantis' leadership, Florida has passed both the Stop WOKE Act to curtail the discussion of Critical Race Theory as well as the Parental Rights in Education Act, which strictly limits discussion of gender and sexuality.
Karine Jean-Pierre, July 5, 2022, Washington, D.C.

The White House on Friday expressed incredulity at a recent decision by the state of Florida to ban the instruction of AP African American Studies.

The state Board of Education determined that "the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value," according to The Hill. Florida bans the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

"It is incomprehensible to see... this ban or this block, to be more specific, that DeSantis has put forward," said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, per the outlet. "They have banned more books in schools and libraries than almost every other state in the country. And let’s not forget, they didn’t block AP European history, they didn’t block music history or art history, but the state chooses to block a course that is meant for high-achieving high school students to learn about their history of arts and culture."

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration have prioritized removing "woke" elements from the state curriculums and have long clashed with national Democratic figures over education policy.

Under DeSantis' leadership, Florida has passed both the Stop WOKE Act to curtail the discussion of CRT, as well as the Parental Rights in Education law, which strictly limits discussion of gender and sexuality in public schools.