New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy expands AP African American studies course in the state and blasts Ron DeSantis: 'Enough already of all this nonsense coming out of Florida'
REUTERS/Rachel Wisniewski
- Gov. Phil Murphy is expanding the AP African American Studies course in New Jersey for 2023-24.
- Murphy during his announcement called out Gov. Ron DeSantis' criticism of the AP course curriculum.
- "I'm happy to call them out by name ... And it's unacceptable and frankly, shameful," Murphy said.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy earlier this week announced the expansion of Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies courses in the Garden State, and in doing so sharply called out Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida's campaign against the curriculum of the course as "nonsense," according to The New York Times.
The AP course, currently in its pilot stage nationwide, is being taught at one New Jersey high school out of 60 nationwide. The course will expand to 25 additional schools for the 2023-24 school year, according to the governor.
Murphy while speaking to reporters took direct aim at efforts in Florida to influence the teachings of the course.
"Enough already of all this nonsense coming out of Florida, we want to expand the story and tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even when it hurts," the governor said during an appearance at Science Park High School in Newark, N.J., one of the schools that will offer the AP course.
"I'm happy to call them out by name. This begins with Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida. And it's unacceptable and frankly, shameful. We're not the political ones here. We're Americans standing up. We've got to tell the whole story of our country," he added.
DeSantis railed against an earlier framework of the AP course, questioning its inclusion of intersectionality, queer studies, reparations, and the Black Lives Matter movement. After the College Board issued a formalized version of the curriculum, those subjects had been made optional, which outraged many educators and activists who felt as though the the board had acquiesced to DeSantis.
The College Board has repeatedly denied that DeSantis played a role in the changes made to the initial framework of the course.