Protests arise amidst De Santis' change to course material

On Feb 28, the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) president, Kaye Wise Whitehead, released an email statement in regards to Florida governor Ron De Santis’ attempts to delegitimize AP African American Studies curriculum and pressuring the CollegeBoard against making revisions to these courses. This isn't anything unique, as similar instances over the last two and a half years have seen courses focusing on similar subjects being targeted for supposedly being “woke”.

These actions were not met without opposition. In light of De Santis’ action, thirty LGBT advocacy groups signed a letter calling for the resignation of CollegeBoard CEO David Coleman. The reasons for this are the College Board lacked the clarity needed when talking with the Florida Board of Education, and failed to realize the harm of accusations of a “woke” agenda among curriculum until it was too late.

The NWSA stated that they “write now as part of a broader campaign to keep pressure on College Board and elevate the wider crises of appeasement.” College Board would initially deny that politics had no influence in the decision to approve these course revisions, contradicting the words of a spokesperson that exposed College Board for admitting that they relinquished the term “intersectionality” in response to the campaign against “woke” concepts being discussed in the classroom. 

Whitehead said that similar logic may have played a part in “expungement of other important terms and concepts from the course, such as structural racism, Black Lives Matter, and Black queer studies”.

Fourth-year human development major Melina Osmundson, said that the “woke” label is a positive one because it entails anyone, regardless of background or education level, to accurately inform themselves about important subjects. However, she also says that the label “woke” is a main reason for why mostly right-wing legislatures will attempt to censor these subjects.

“Regardless, these are subjects that should be taught in all schools' ', said Osmundson, explaining the importance of being informed in order to bring about positive changes to society.

Whitehead states that College Board’s attempts at appeasement to the organized effort to scratch out key ideas and concepts from African American studies and public institutions, is making history and scholarship subject to the preferences and “anti-woke” sentiments. Instead of going along with these restrictions, the College Board should lead by example and oppose these restrictions and anti-equity censorship, as well as restoring the state of AP African American studies to as was originally envisioned by reinstating the key concepts and terms that have been removed from these courses. 

Lena McQuade, says that censoring African-American histories, and other histories that analyze relationships of race and power, are detrimental to everyone regardless of racial background.

“Everyone is enriched when we learn the full complexities of history,” said McQuade. “These complexities include the ways power has been abused to racially dehumanize people and the ways people, especially African Americans, have always fought back and invested in their own humanity and freedom.”

 In response to this censorship, the NWSA went public with an open letter to fight “anti-woke” censorship on March 1, the first day of Women’s history month. The open letter is accessible through a bit.ly link at the bottom of their newsletter, as well as providing a QR code to access five other open letters to sign. In addition to signing and starting petitions, contacting government officials that have any say regarding power and censorship is also a viable option. McQuade also said students can take WGS and Ethnic Studies courses to be better prepared and educated in the fight against censorship.

In regards to the term “woke”, McQuade said it is simply a recent term often used by people being more aware of injustice and a desire to change the conditions around us for the better.

“Developing critical thinking and working to address some of the most complex issues facing our society such as the persistence of racism, sexism, homophobia,” said McQuade. “This is the kind of knowledge and action that can liberate all of us.”