All these years at different schools around America, you will notice how there is always at least one AP History class. Why would the government wait now to start a Black History AP class specifically? If segregation was a thing back then, an AP Black history class should have been in the equation quite some time ago.

On Wednesday, February 1, 2023, the College Board administration released the official AP curriculum African American History class. Although it has only been released in 60 schools around the country to be formally tested, it’s a start for the black community.

It has gained attention around the world. The governor of Florida, Gov. Ron Desantis, “threatened” to ban the class in his state. According to a NPR story posted on February 12, 2023, “The national education nonprofit said it should have more quickly addressed claims by Florida’s Department of Education that the course was indoctrinating students and lacked educational value, which the College Board called “slander.”

Now, the AP class consists of the topics all concerning the Black community and how it all started but they don’t include important topics going on in the current generation, such as Black Lives Matter, Queer life, and Feminism. The class course fields consist of history, literature, the arts, geography, and science. They are to explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans. It doesn’t make sense to talk about old history if nothing new is included. The class has sprung a political debate across the world. It is becoming more recognized and creating more interest in students around the world, not just African American students, but other races as well.

How the process of the class is supposed to go is in the 2022-23 school year it is being tested in 60 schools. In the 2023-24 school year it is supposed to expand to additional schools across the country. In the 2024-25 school year the class is going to be offered to all schools, and in the spring of 2025 the exam will be available for students to take. “I was very excited when the college board announced that they would be honoring this class. I like the idea that you guys can take a Black studies class and get the AP credit for it,” the PCN college and careers counselor Kelley Malahy said. So for the upcoming P.O.C., would you take this course to earn AP credit?