Dozens of schools across the country
are part of a pilot program this year
teaching AP African American studies.
The College Board has been developing
the curriculum for more than a decade.
While many in the academic world
have embraced this new course,
it hasn't been without controversy.
The Republican governor of Florida
banned the course in his state.
And critics say the College Board
watered down the curriculum this year.
Among the amid the political backlash.
But the kids and teachers
in this pilot program,
like the one here in Colorado,
they're excited to lead the way.
9 news reporter Jennifer Mechels now taking
us out to Overland High School in Aurora.
Let's make sure our phones are away.
History spills out of this classroom.
Table 2 looks ready from the
walls and the whiteboard.
So I'm gonna show you someone in the
bottom right corner here to the 30
students and their teacher, Nathan Umetsu.
My boss came up to me and said,
hey, would you be interested
in piloting this course?
And I said absolutely.
Without even hesitation, I said yes.
Overland High School in the Cherry
Creek School District is one of about
60 schools in the whole country that
joined this pilot project teaching
AP African American. Studies.
It is a big curriculum. College
Board has spent ten years getting
this curriculum in place.
4 units umetsu explained.
Origins of the African diaspora,
freedom, enslavement and resistance,
the practice of freedom and the civil
rights movement in the modern century.
How did African Americans rise to
challenge even African Americans?
How did black individuals rise
to the challenge and say, hey,
this is how I have changed,
this is how I promoted equity,
this is how I want to see equality.
And, you know, students are really
happy to hear that there's more.
Success stories and negative.
I was one very excited because I've
always been so passionate about
black history, African history,
African American history, all history
were relating back to my skin color,
senior hiab Tekle says.
This class feels different,
different in a really refreshing way.
In any class I've taken so far,
it's kind of been always
talking about a specific thing.
It's always talking about African
American struggles and the
suffrage of African Americans.
But it's never talking
about the accomplishments,
the the uprising, the,
the kingdoms and.
Kingdoms of Africa
students see themselves in these lessons.
Most students at Overland High
School are students of color,
and in this Class, 22 of the 30 students
identify as black or African American.
There you go.
Impact of Black American Music.
If you didn't know why
you like hip hop so much,
it's because of him.
DJ Kool Herc is his name.
How did the Harlem Renaissance
bring us to early hip-hop?
Can you name the era when
these lyrics were written?
Hold up your boards.
Let's see if you got it right.
The students are engaging,
they're having fun, and again,
seeing them just light up about history.
It's just one of the most
amazing experiences.
This pilot class of all seniors will
shape this curriculum for years to come.
We're being so passionate about it.
Like we've already set the
bar for others to pass by,
so I want that to. Be exceeded.
I want our class to just be what it is.
And how can it be better for everybody else?
In here? They learn the lessons
of history, but being here means
they're also making history.
Bring up your papers.
Let's get out of here.
I hope you enjoyed our music day.
With photojournalist Byron.
We will talk. Thank you.
More about Harlem Renaissance on Thursday.
Jennifer Mechels 9 news.
You talk about education.
I think so many people have been
talking about AP African American
history and many people are talking
about critical race theory, right?
And most people just pick a side
and probably don't necessarily
understand either one of them.
So when you talk about education,
maybe it belongs to more
people and stories like that,
that give you an idea of what is actually
going on in some of these stories.
That's a great teacher.
And the students are fully engaged.
I kind of want to go back
to school. That was a
cool class. Well, the College
Board says they plan to expand.
Pilot to hundreds of more
schools next year and teachers
like Nathan Umetsu say,
well, he says he's already
hearing from younger students,
even 8th graders who are ready.
They want to enroll.
That be great when kids
want to and they're excited.
We have much more information about
the class and some of the national
curriculum and the controversy as
well on our website, 9news.com.