AP African American Studies Proves Educational Importance

AP African American History Class, Block C members discuss an upcoming project. The course is offered during two blocks during this Spring semester.

Story by Abby McGuire '25

The spring semester never fails to surprise, but this time it launched a completely new class- AP African American Studies. Although Marian has offered an African American Studies course since 2017, the AP certification is a big change. 

This certification matters because it gives students the opportunity to earn college credit and connects them to a larger web of learners. 

Social studies teacher Jillian Roger explains how this specific AP course can help students ease into other college board classes, “…I think it’s really approachable…it’s a manageable class in the semester, and I think it’s a good introduction to students who’ve never done AP before.” 

According to Reuters, Georgia recently banned the course because of the perceived association with Critical Race Theory (CRT). However, the College Board has publicly distanced itself from CRT- so these claims have been debunked. 

Roger wants to reassure parents that the course is not affiliated with CRT, “Critical race theory is a college level curriculum that…is not covered in this class. It’s used mostly in law school and this is not what we’re doing in here…what I think that term has been used for is demonizing any attempt at trying to broaden horizons and broaden curriculum…the roots of this course are from the 1920s…but in the 1960s they created African American Studies, Black Studies and now it’s like college boards finally catching up with that. So this isn’t new.” 

This class is not a history class, it is an interdisciplinary cultural study. These types of courses help to expand the horizons of recognition and consideration cross culturally. 

“It’s a non-traditional, non western way of looking at a group of people in history…and for Black Americans to tell their own story and to look from their perspectives and to know their own history told by their own people, which is not the same as the standard US curriculum where you briefly touch on what African Americans are doing…it provides…an alternative perspective to the standard canon of social studies classes.” 

Senior Kerenzia Amouzou took the African American Studies course before it received the AP certification, and she is grateful for the experience, 

“I think this class is great…it goes way deeper than surface level and I think it’s fun to learn about different cultures and histories because…it makes you more compassionate towards others and understanding why certain things are the way that they are, especially in today’s climate. It’s helpful to know about African American history, slavery, segregation, racism, it just helps you develop further as a person and you can connect more with people.” 

One of the main ways she connected with people in the class was through Roger’s teaching style, “A lot of the class was civil discourse and that was my favorite part.. Because there were a lot of discussions so we could debate different perspectives and a lot of people within the class were black themselves and so I got to hear what they thought…” 

For the students inside the class, the sentiment rings the same. Sophomore Ashley Bialas decided to take the class because it was completely new and she wanted to understand more about the Black community. 

“…I think that taking this class helps you to dive into a culture and history that personally I did not know a lot about and I think that taking this class will help anyone become a more well-rounded person as well as gain a new appreciation for figures in history that have contributed greatly to the lives we live today,” Bialas said.

Roger makes sure to include the voices of Black changemakers throughout the curriculum, so that the class is as authentic as possible. This inclusion helps to expand student understanding and connection. “I try as much as possible to bring in the sources…bringing in the voices of people whose story it is to tell, and allowing the people in this class to share their experiences…” Roger said. 

This class is a new addition, but it seem right at home in the social studies curriculum. It helps to expand hearts and minds to the struggles of a community not everyone shares, which increases empathy and understanding for the future generations.