The Douglas County school board unanimously approved a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies after hearing parents and educators express support for the new class during a meeting Tuesday evening.
The Board of Education’s decision came after President Christy Williams initially delayed the vote during a Nov. 19 meeting, saying at the time that she hadn’t had enough time to review the course — which had drawn concerns from community members — and make sure it aligned with Douglas County School District’s equity policy.
Williams said at the time that she had heard from community members who were concerned the course would teach students critical race theory, which is an academic concept that racism runs through American institutions, such as the legal and education systems.
“A lot of people have talked about the course that was banned from certain states,” Williams said, referencing the fact that the African American studies course has been barred in Florida, where teachings on race have been restricted.
“I can say now after researching and understanding that that has been revised and modified and doesn’t include some of the controversial topics that were in there initially,” she added.
The seven-member school board must approve all courses taught in the district. The African American studies course is an AP class, meaning it’s a higher-level elective that it is offered to high schoolers who want to earn college credit.
Board members said they received emails from the community that both questioned and supported the course. Members, including Williams, said they reviewed the curriculum before making their decision.
“There’s a lot of rigor and expecting of including different viewpoints and proving your viewpoint and not so much about indoctrination,” said Kaylee Winegar, one of the conservative members of the board.
African American studies is a new AP class created by the College Board, which administers the tests, and is now available at any school nationwide following a two-year pilot program. The course first arrived in 60 American schools during the 2022-23 academic year, including the Cherry Creek School District’s Overland High School in Aurora.
The course covers centuries of Black history, ranging from early African kingdoms to political and social movements of the 20th century. The class doesn’t just cover history, but also literature, art and other subjects using primary sources from certain historical periods, according to the College Board.
“It was very interesting curriculum, very interesting topics,” said board member Becky Myers. “I was quite pleased to read everything.”
The course is now offered in hundreds of classrooms, including at Northfield High School and Bruce Randolph High School in Denver.
Valarie Moses, an English teacher at Highlands Ranch High School, submitted the proposal to teach the African American studies course. The board’s approval means the course can now be taught at any school in Douglas County School District starting as soon as the next academic year.
“This course curriculum does not teach an agenda; it teaches critical thinking,” Moses told the school board during public comments.
The district enrolled 61,964 pupils during the 2023-24 academic year, including 981 Black students, according to the latest data from the Colorado Department of Education.
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Some states, such as Arkansas and South Carolina, have restricted the course, including by saying schools can offer the class without college credit — a move that comes as they more broadly limit the teaching of race and racism in public schools. Florida banned the African American studies course entirely, saying it “significantly lacks educational value.”
The College Board altered the course last year, although the organization denied doing so because of the criticism from state officials in Florida. Revisions to the curriculum left out concepts such as critical race theory and structural racism, The New York Times reported.
In Douglas County, the school board has become known for its contentious meetings, especially after conservative members gained a majority on the board in 2021 and quickly voted to repeal the district’s mask mandate and change the districtwide equity policy.
Four students sued Douglas County School District last year, accusing district leaders of “callous indifference” toward racist bullying they faced at Castle Rock Middle School and Douglas County High School.
Almost all parents, educators and community members who spoke during public comments about the AP African American studies course supported the class, saying that it will provide pupils with a deeper understanding of history and give Black students representation in school curriculum.
“When we don’t teach young people about the diversity that has shaped the United States of America we do them a disservice,” said one supporter of the course.
A grandparent of Douglas County students opposed the course, saying “some of the developers of this course have expressed in videos very biased political pro-marxist and communist beliefs, negative perceptions of charter schools, our elections systems, electoral college, being racists and much more.”
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