According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the presidents of Florida’s 28 state and community colleges said in a statement on Wednesday that they would identify and eliminate, by February 1, any academic requirement or program “that compels belief in critical race theory or related concepts such as intersectionality.”

The presidents stated that initiatives are pushing “ideologies such as critical race theory and its related tenets,” instead of promoting what they were supposed to: diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The announcement came after a request from the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis for public higher education institutions to submit comprehensive lists of their spending related to diversity initiatives and critical race theory. The administration said they want to eliminate “trendy ideology” on campuses. 

Following the same pattern, the Florida’s Department of Education has rejected an Advanced Placement course covering African American Studies, alleging the class indoctrinates students to "a political agenda." 

Christopher Tinson, the chair of the African American Studies department at Saint Louis University, told NPR there is “nothing particularly ideological about the course except that we value the experiences of African people in the United States."

The course, which still is in its pilot phase, aims to introduce students to the experiences and contributions of African Americans through a variety of lenses, said Tinson. He added to NPR that the class will explore the origins of the African diaspora to Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, and more. 

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said the course was rejected because it violates the Florida law, as it is filled with critical theory. 

Tinson denied the accusation, saying the course will explore inequality. 

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