Here’s How Kids (and Adults) Can Learn Black Studies Outside of School

At least four Republican-led states are considering whether a new African American Studies course is in compliance with its laws that restrict lessons on race, following Florida's ban on the proposed course last month.  

Officials in education departments in Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Virginia are reviewing the advanced placement course to decide whether it goes against new state laws that restrict how issues of race and ethnicity are taught in classrooms.

The College Board, a nonprofit organization that also oversees the SAT, administers the Advanced Placement course, which delves into 400 years of Black people's contributions to literature, politics, science, and other aspects of American life, according to the program description. Sixty high schools nationwide are participating in the pilot version of the course.

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration rejected the course, calling the content "inexplicably contrary to Florida law," the College Board released a statement that condemned the state's ban. However, the board also released a revised course curriculum,removing contemporary authors and topics such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ life, and the Black feminist movement. 

Removing contemporary literature removes foundational texts of Black studies, said Stefan Bradley, professor of Black Studies at Amherst College. In turn, it limits education on the lived experiences of Black people.

"When you talk about Black feminist theory, or you talk about any of those things, it's fair game. There should never be a question of why we should learn about these things because they're occurring in the community," Bradley said. "What [the controversy is] talking about is who gets to be American and which of us deserves to be included in the American narrative --- and Black people deserve to be in the American narrative."

Amid national efforts to restrict education about race and ethnicity in classrooms, rejection of the AP course adds to Black children's inequitable access to opportunities in school. Already, Black students are not enrolled in AP courses at rates comparable to their white and Asian peers. Outside of AP courses, less than 9% of high school history class time is devoted to Black history in the U.S., according to a 2015 study by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

For that reason, supplementing children's education is often necessary to ensure a comprehensive understanding of Black history. Capital B asked four scholars of African American studies to tell us what works they think are most critical to give students a foundation in African American studies outside the classroom.

Below is a reading list that we’ll expand on as more academic leaders fill us in on their top picks—any recommendations not attributed to a particular scholar were suggested by all four experts. Continue to check back on Capital B’s site for more.

This story, including the recommendations below, originally ran on Capital B, a Black-led, nonprofit local and national news organization reporting for Black communities across the country. It is reprinted with permission

Lead image by Steve Helber/Associated Press