The new Advanced Placement course on African American studies has been revised in order to downplay components that right-wing conservatives did not like, BBC reported.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone after the new AP class, threatening to ban the class in his state altogether.
The AP board has succumbed to criticism and now downplays some of its components.
The new official framework was made public on Wednesday.
Now, topics such as Black Lives Matter, slavery reparations, and queer theory are no longer subjects to be taught.
These issues are included only on a list of topics that states and school systems could suggest to students for end-of-the-year projects.
The rejection of the course by DeSantis stirred new political debate over how schools teach about race.
Florida officials last month issued a chart that said it promoted the idea that modern American society oppresses Black people, was inappropriate and uses articles by critics of capitalism.
DeSantis last month released a chart listing the state’s objections to the class, arguing that it violated state law and was filled with critical race theory, teaching that racism permeates U.S. institutions.
Critics accused the organization of bending to political pressure.
The National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization, called the revisions “disturbing”.
The course is currently being tested at 60 schools around the U.S., and the official framework is intended to guide the expansion of the course to hundreds of additional high schools in the next academic year.
AP courses give students the chance to take college-level courses before graduation.
They are overseen by the College Board. The African-American history syllabus is the organization’s first new class since 2014.
The College Board said developers consulted with professors from more than 200 colleges, including several historically Black institutions.
The course has been popular among students in schools where it has been introduced.
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