Is African American Studies ‘Divisive’? This School Board Changed Its Mind

The Harford County school board reversed its June decision and decided to allow an Advanced Placement African American studies course they’d previously called “divisive” to be taught in high schools.

The vote at Monday night’s meeting, which stretched beyond midnight, was unanimous. The board heard from a panel of teachers, students and school administrators who talked about the value of the course to students. It was piloted in three high schools in the county — Bel Air, Joppatowne and Aberdeen — as part of a national program to gather feedback and adjust the course.

The AP African American studies pilot had become a national target in the 2022-2023 school year, when conservative politicians denounced it for what they called “woke indoctrination.” {snip}

Previously some Harford school board members had said they believed the course was too political and didn’t include enough positive history. {snip}

After the June decision to reject the course, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland wrote a letter to the school board asking that it reconsider and noting that the course is optional and provides students the ability to get college credits if they pass the exam.

“An honest review of any area of history will often reveal uncomfortable or harsh realities — realities that should be studied and learned from, especially by students who will be our future leaders,” the letter said.

On Tuesday, Jheanelle Wilkins, a state delegate representing Montgomery County, said, “When the community speaks out and has a collective strong voice, change happens. That is what happened.”

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The Black Caucus does not usually comment on local issues, she said, but in this case they believed it was a national issue. “The study of our history should be non-negotiable.”

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More than 75% of those enrolled were students of color.

Some board members still expressed concerns that the course would have a liberal bias. Terri Kocher, a board member who voted against the course in June, asked on Monday whether students would leave the class believing that Black people are “oppressed.”

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