TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — On Wednesday, Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor penned a letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis encouraging him to appoint a 15-member scholar panel to develop an African American curriculum for advanced placement courses.
"If I do not, who will? It's my duty because of who I represent. All the schools in my district my Title I schools, are mostly black schools," Proctor told ABC 27 Thursday.
The note came on the same day the college board released framework for AP African American studies course that waters down topics like the black lives matters movement and slavery reparations.
"Why do we need someone else to create a curriculum when we have these great and talented scholars here," said Proctor.
In Proctor's letter, he proposes using historians from the University of Florida, Florida State University, and Florida A&M University instead of the private College Board to create the African American studies curriculum.
"Blow that trumpet loud and clear and awaken this great state. The way we're going is leading us to a shipwreck. We're going to damage what we did in the 60s, the civil rights act, the housing act," said RB Holmes, Pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
Holmes is the President of the Tallahassee Chapter of the National Action Network.
On the heels of the curriculum change, Holmes and other local leaders have tapped Reverend Al Sharpton to help them bring attention to what they say is an attack on African American Studies in Florida's public schools.
They're doing it with the "Rally to Save Our History;" marching for equity, diversity and inclusion in Florida schools.
For Holmes the rally is about not letting what's happening in Florida happen anywhere else.
"We've got to say to the country, 'you don't want to emulate what Florida is doing,'" said Holmes.
Below is Proctor's letter to DeSantis:
Gov DeSantis - AP African American History - 2-1-23
