A Brooklyn school’s students fought to add AP African American Studies to their curriculum

By Janelle Griffith, NBC

In June 2020, after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd galvanized racial injustice protests globally, Brooklyn Preparatory High School organized a forum for its staff and the predominantly Black and Hispanic student body to share their thoughts and express their feelings.

“Those three deaths specifically had an effect on all of us, but also specifically our students,” said J.P. King, a history teacher and the chief experience officer at the New York City school, “and our administration and teachers prioritized hearing what students had to say about it.”

The forum, held via Zoom as the Covid pandemic disrupted education, was open to the entire school and included a panel of staff members and students. What came from it was an outpouring of emotions — as well as a general frustration from students about not seeing themselves enough in the curriculum, King and administrators said. 

With the help of their assistant principal and the backing of the AP for All initiative of the New York City Department of Education, students and staff launched a petition calling for African American Studies to be among the College Board’s Advanced Placement offerings. After a two-year push, the school is now among 60 across the country participating in a pilot program launched this fall for AP African American Studies — at a time when teaching about race is under assault across the United States. 

Learn more about this program.

Meanwhile, teachers still face racism from other staff.

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