Black Florida Democrat commissioner says AP African American history course is ‘trash’
February 2, 2023
Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor, a black Florida Democrat, said the AP African American Studies course is “trash,” siding with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in opposition to the class due to its focus on queer and feminist ideology.
Florida rejected the College Board AP course from the state’s curriculum last month because it was “filled with Critical Race Theory and other obvious violations of Florida law,” State Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. said.
The AP class would have been taught to Florida high school students working towards earning college credit, but teaching topics such as Critical Race Theory is illegal in the state.
“There is grave concern about the tone and the tenor of leadership’s voice from the highest spaces in our state being hostile to teaching of African American history,” Proctor said last week at a Leon County Commission meeting.
“Well, frankly I’m against the College Board’s curriculum. I think it’s trash. It’s not African American history. It is ideology,” he said.