Last month, the Florida Department of Education rejected the Advanced Placement African American Studies course, a first-of-its-kind course that would’ve placed Black people at the center of this nation’s history, policies, and infrastructure. Since then, the FLDOE has launched a smear campaign against AP African American Studies in an attempt to undermine the credibility of the Black scholars who worked alongside The College Board to build the course’s curriculum and dissuade other states from giving public school students access to Black history.
More recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shared that he has been in conversation with the state legislature to "reevaluate” its relationship with The College Board completely. Meaning, students could lose access to all AP courses and even the PSAT/SAT–both of which play a critical role in securing college admissions, academic-based scholarships, and even internship opportunities. At a time when Black students face significant psychological, financial, and physical barriers to higher education, this decision could worsen existing educational inequities.
Walmart is one of several corporations with FLDOE members on their payroll and must be held accountable for picking a side: Black students or its anti-Black executive.
Make a call to Walmart executives now to demand that the company immediately speak out against the FLDOE’s decision to ban AP African American Studies and affirm its commitment to defending Black history–on all fronts.
