The truth about AP African American Studies

Beyond the controversy [View as Webpage]( [National Education Association]( [EdJustice]( {NAME}, No matter our color, background, or ZIP code, we want our students to receive an education that honestly and accurately depicts our nation’s story. New and challenging ways of interacting with our history should be celebrated, yet by the time most of us heard about the first-ever Advanced Placement African American Studies course coming to schools, right-wing extremists like Ron DeSantis were already fighting to get the course banned. In the words of Antoinette Dempsey-Waters, who helped develop the course, “there have always been politicians who've tried to make their names on the bones of our ancestors.” [For anyone who is passionate about the truth being taught in our schools, Antoinette’s interview on the latest episode of NEA’s School Me podcast is a must-listen.]( [LISTEN: Demystifying AP African American Studies ➤]( Although politicians in Florida and Arkansas have blocked students from this elective, groundbreaking course, AP African American Studies has already been taken by 15,000 students in 40 states and is set to become operational nationally in the 2024-25 school year. In this podcast episode, Antoinette, a passionate history teacher and self-proclaimed Frederick Douglass “superfan,” discusses the meticulous process behind creating the course framework, the challenges the committee faced, and the incredible dedication of the educators involved in its development. Across race, place, age, and background, we all need to acknowledge the sacrifices and contributions of African Americans in order to fully understand American history. This course has the power to unite and inspire students to create a more just, equitable nation—learning from our best achievements and fighting to never repeat our worst mistakes. You can find this and other episodes of School Me wherever you get your podcasts, including [Apple Podcasts]( and [Spotify](. Or, [listen in your browser now](. We hope you enjoy this enlightening conversation with Antoinette and share the episode with others. In solidarity, The NEA EdJustice Team [fb]( [tw]( [in]( [NEA - National Education Association]( You received this email at {EMAIL} because you are signed up for NEA EdJustice, timely actions and a quarterly digest about racial, social, and economic justice in education. [Click here to unsubscribe.]( © 2024 National Education Association 1201 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036 [neaEdJustice.org]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( | [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe](