Mary Byrne
Driven by student interest and a desire to further the district’s vision for improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in Belmont schools, a new interdisciplinary course on African American studies has been added to the Belmont High School curriculum.
“When we look at our school district and our sources of data about how our students are doing, we know we need to provide more ‘windows and mirrors’ in the education field,” said Director of Social Studies Deborah McDevitt. “We’re looking for more students to see their identity reflected in our curriculum and also more opportunities for students to learn about a wider range of perspectives.”
Advanced Placement African American Studies, accepted into the program of studies by the School Committee earlier this year, will examine “the diversity of the African American experiences” through myriad sources, according to material provided to students before the upcoming course selection process. The full-year class will be open to all students entering their sophomore, junior and senior years.
“Students have been asking for many years for us to expand our curriculum to include a more diverse curriculum,” said Principal Isaac Taylor. “I think that was a course, in particular, that many of our students are interested in taking.”
At the same time as the new course was on her radar, McDevitt said students approached her expressing interest in the program.
“We do offer multiple different advanced placement options in the Social Studies Department,” she said. “There was a range of students that came to me asking about this, and because it aligned, to me, with our district’s goals, that’s why it was something we were able to try to get into our program of studies and into our schedule.”
She explained that the AP course follows four thematic units, beginning with Unit 1, The Origins of the African Diaspora, which occurred between approximately 900 BCE and the 16th century. The subsequent three units include:
- Unit 2: Freedom, Enslavement and Resistance (16th century-1865)
- Unit 3: The Practice of Freedom (1865-1940s)
- Unit 4: Movements and Debates (1940s-2000s)
“There are elements of this course in other courses we teach,” said McDevitt. “In our world history classes, we look at African kingdoms and empires. If you’re looking at our American history classes, you’ll see pieces of freedom and resistance and enslavement. All those pieces are touched on in other places but not to the depth they are in this class or not as thematically tied together in one cohesive unit. I wouldn’t say it’s a repeat, but it’s really digging deep and connecting ideas with some really important skills.”
According to McDevitt, the course includes a study of literature, music, and art, allowing students to develop other skill sets, including art history analysis and music analysis.
“It’s not just going to be a purely social studies class even though it’s housed in this department,” she said.
The College Board began to develop the course in 2020 to “capture young people’s interests in contemporary race issues following mass protests after the murder of George Floyd,” the New York Times reported. Floyd was the Minneapolis, Minn., man murdered by white police officers in May 2020. His death sparked nationwide protests and marked the public beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The course was subject to multiple revisions before its final version in December 2023. The final version leaves out critical race theory and structural racism, and LGBTQ issues are mostly absent, according to the Times. Further, studying the Black Lives Matter movement isn’t mandatory.
The curriculum does mention “systemic oppression” and “systematic marginalization” — words associated with critical race theory, often targeted by conservatives. The intersectionality of racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of discrimination are also included in the curriculum.
In general, the course contains topics that are typically absent in the American high school curriculum.
McDevitt said she was aware of the pushback and criticism the College Board received as it finalized the curriculum.
“When you look at the revisions College Board has done and the scholars that helped to create this course, I feel confident it’s going to be a great course for students that choose to enroll in it,” she said.
Course selection for students begins in March, she said. A teacher for the course is to be determined, but whoever teaches the class will receive training over the summer.
“I think it’s a really exciting opportunity for students,” she said. “And I’m excited we’re going to be able to offer it.”
