Ethnic Studies

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity
A woman holds a sign and attends a rally to stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on March 20, 2021.
A woman holds a sign and attends a rally to stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on March 20, 2021.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Social Studies The Demand for Asian American History Is Growing. See Where
Florida is among states facing the possibility of requiring Asian American and Pacific Islander history in K-12 curriculum.
Ileana Najarro, February 24, 2023
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5 min read
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivering his State of the State address at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., on Jan. 10, 2023. Murphy announced the expansion of the AP African American Studies course to 26 schools across the state next school year a few weeks after Florida’s ban.
Matt Rourke/AP
Social Studies AP African American Studies: How Other States Are Responding After Florida's Ban
These are the states that have taken a stance on the AP African American Studies course.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 23, 2023
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7 min read
Black woman lying on a large stack of books and reading a book.
iStock/Getty
Social Studies 5 Things We Learned From 2 Teachers Piloting AP African American Studies
Shekinah Hall and Darren Williams teach at the only high school offering two separate classes of AP African American Studies this school year.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 17, 2023
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3 min read
Illustration of a blank history book on a background collage of historic documents and the American Flag.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Social Studies Opinion What the Rejection of African American History Means for Students
When Florida announced that AP African American Studies would not be taught in the state, my first question was, “Why not?”
Monica Washington, February 17, 2023
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3 min read
Shekinah Hall in her classroom at McLain High School in Tulsa, Okla.
Shekinah Hall, a teacher at McLain High School in Tulsa, Okla., is one of two teachers in Tulsa who are teaching a pilot course of Advanced Placement African American Studies this school year.
Courtesy of Tulsa Public Schools
Social Studies What Two Teachers Piloting the AP African American Studies Course Have to Say About It
The AP African American Studies course offers students representation like never before, two teachers piloting the course in Oklahoma said.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 16, 2023
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8 min read
Emmitt Glynn is seen from just outside his classroom at Baton Rouge Magnet High School teaching his second AP African American studies class on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Emmitt Glynn is seen from just outside his classroom at Baton Rouge Magnet High School teaching his second AP African American studies class on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Stephen Smith/AP
Social Studies How AP African American Studies Came Under Attack: A Timeline
New information from College Board and Florida officials sheds light on the ins and outs of the course's development.
Ileana Najarro, February 10, 2023
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16 min read
Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Stephen Smith/AP
Social Studies What Will Be Taught in College Board's AP African American Studies? Here's a Sample
While there is public outcry over what is not found in the new course, and why, here's a look at some required topics in place.
Ileana Najarro, February 3, 2023
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9 min read
Illustration of many hands are raised against a giant hand stopping them
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Equity & Diversity Opinion Educators, We Must Defend AP African American Studies
In an open letter to colleagues, a former Florida educator urges teachers to speak out. "No one will save us."
Monika Williams Shealey , February 2, 2023
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5 min read
In this June 23, 1963, file photo, the Rev. Martin Luther King joins Detroit's Freedom March. During the critical era of the 1950s and '60s, King, who led the 250,000-strong March on Washington in 1963, and Malcolm X were colossal 20th century figures, representing two different tracks: mass non-violent protest and getting favorable outcomes "by any means necessary."
In this June 23, 1963, file photo, the Rev. Martin Luther King joins Detroit's Freedom March. During the critical civil rights era of the 1950s and 1960s, King, who led the 250,000-strong March on Washington in 1963, and Malcolm X, were colossal 20th century figures, representing two different tracks: mass non-violent protest and getting favorable outcomes "by any means necessary."
AP
Social Studies College Board Releases AP African American Studies Framework, Runs Into Anti-CRT Laws
The new AP course recently made headlines after Florida officials banned the pilot course in the state for allegedly defying state law.
Ileana Najarro, February 1, 2023
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6 min read
Illustration of the map of Africa casting a shadow on documents and opened books.
Xia Gordon for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion Africana Studies Can Save Education—and the World
The goal of our dominant education framework is to produce workers, not whole, self-actualized human beings. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Ismael Jimenez, January 31, 2023
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4 min read
Attorney Ben Crump, left, stands with the three Leon County, Fla., high school students who are threatening to file a lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration over the ban of a proposed Advanced Placement course on African America Studies in Florida high schools, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla.
Attorney Ben Crump, left, stands with the three Leon County, Fla., high school students who last week threatened to sue Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration over a ban of a proposed AP African American Studies course.
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via AP
Social Studies AP African American Studies: What's Next for the Course
Florida’s ban of a pilot AP Black history course drew protests, threats of lawsuits, and a lukewarm response from the College Board.
Eesha Pendharkar, January 30, 2023
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2 min read
A large crowd gathers on the fourth floor rotunda of the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., for the "Stop the Black Attack" rally, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Attorney Ben Crump threatened to file a lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and his administration amid the ban of a proposed Advanced Placement course on African America Studies in Florida high schools on behalf of three Leon County, Fla., school students.
A large crowd gathers on the fourth floor rotunda of the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., for the "Stop the Black Attack" rally, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Attorney Ben Crump threatened to file a lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and his administration amid the ban of a proposed Advanced Placement course on African America Studies in Florida high schools on behalf of three Leon County, Fla., school students.
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via AP
Social Studies College Board: No State Has Sway Over Final Version of AP African American Studies
College Board effectively told its members that it will not consider input from states or districts when releasing the final version of the pilot Black history class that Florida banned.
Eesha Pendharkar, January 26, 2023
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3 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks after being sworn in to begin his second term during an inauguration ceremony outside the Old Capitol on Jan. 3, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. DeSantis' administration has blocked a new Advanced Placement course on African-American studies from being taught in high schools, saying the class violates state law and that it is historically inaccurate.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks after being sworn in to begin his second term on Jan. 3 in Tallahassee, Fla. DeSantis' administration has blocked a new high school Advanced Placement course on African-American studies, claiming it violates state law.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Social Studies Florida's Ban on AP African American Studies, Explained
Florida high schoolers will not be able to take an AP Black history course, after the course was banned for allegedly being inaccurate and illegal.
Eesha Pendharkar, January 24, 2023
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7 min read
People speak out against anti-asian hate following the recent mass shootings in Atlanta that left eight dead, including six Asian Americans on March 17, 2021 at Diversity Plaza in Queens, New York City. Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit social organization that tracks incidents of discrimination, hate and xenophobia against Asian Americans, said it recorded 3,795 anti-Asian hate incidents between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021.
People speak out against anti-Asian hate following mass shootings in Atlanta that left eight people dead, including six Asian Americans, in March 2021.
John Nacion/NurPhoto via AP
Curriculum States Are Mandating Asian American Studies. What Should the Curriculum Look Like?
AAPI people's experiences are vast and diverse. Teaching about them accurately requires hard history, community engagement, and teacher training.
Ileana Najarro, October 28, 2022
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6 min read
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