Vice President Harris blasts DeSantis for blocking AP African American Studies course

Vice President Kamala Harris — the first Black woman to serve in the nation’s second highest office — blasted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration Sunday for rejecting the new Advanced Placement course on African American studies.

For Harris, students across the U.S. should be able to learn about the culture, contributions and experiences of Black Americans — and how they shaped history.

“Unfortunately, in Florida, extremist so-called leaders ban books, block history classes, and prevent teachers from freely discussing who they are and who they love,” Harris said. “Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.”

The program has been in development for more than a decade, according to the College Board. Its subject matter explores history as well as the “vital contributions and experiences of African Americans” in literature, the arts, political science, geography and science.

Last week, DeSantis’ administration claimed the course, which allows high school students to earn credits and advanced placement at many colleges across the country, violates state law and “lacks educational value.”

READ MORE: Florida rejects AP African American Studies course, claiming it ‘lacks educational value’

The AP African American Studies class is the first offered by the College Board, which administers AP courses and SAT exams.

“Like all new AP courses, AP African American Studies is undergoing a rigorous, multiyear pilot phase, collecting feedback from teachers, students, scholars and policymakers,” the College Board said in a statement on Thursday. “The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard part of any new AP course, and frameworks often change significantly as a result.”

DeSantis, who is rumored to be eyeing the 2024 Republican presidential race, has opposed liberal ideologies in education, including critical race theory, which examines systemic racism and its impacts on American society. His vendetta against CRT even pushed him to sign the “Stop WOKE Act” in 2022, limiting how race-related issues are taught in public universities, colleges and in workplace training.