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Florida Rejects New African American Studies Course; Manatee County Teachers Cover Books After New Ban

HeadlineJan 25, 2023

In Florida, racial justice advocates and educators have vowed to fight the blocking of a proposed new Advanced Placement course on African American studies. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday said he supports Florida’s Education Department after it claimed the class violated state law and pushed a “political agenda” by teaching high school students about the Black Lives Matter movement, Black queer studies, slavery and reparations, and other topics centering Black historical figures and events.

Meanwhile, teachers in Manatee County, Florida, have taken to covering up or removing books from their class libraries after a new law prohibiting classroom material that hasn’t been vetted and approved by so-called certified media specialists went into effect. Teachers found in violation of these guidelines face felony charges.

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