The College Board, a nonprofit which oversees Advanced Placement courses, announced Tuesday (Jan. 24) that it would revise its African American Studies curriculum after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis banned the course in the state’s high schools.

On Jan. 12, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) sent a letter to the College Board saying that the course content "is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value."

But the letter failed to identify which laws the course violated and ignited a backlash from the state’s Black leaders, educators and the White House.

DeSantis has been a leading Republican voice opposing Critical Race Theory (CRT), a college-level academic framework to analyze systemic racism that is not taught at elementary or secondary schools.

Under his leadership, the Republican-dominated state legislature passed a measure dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act'' that the governor signed into law last April. It restricts how race is discussed in public schools, colleges and workplaces.

According to the College Board, the curriculum touches on literature, arts, humanities, political science, geography and science. It has been under development for more than a decade in collaboration with colleges, universities and secondary schools.

Speaking at a press conference on Jan. 23, DeSantis claimed that some of the course material has an agenda to indoctrinate students, pointing to topics on Black LGBTQ studies and the Movement for Black Lives.

In response, the College Board said it will release “the official framework” for the course on Feb. 1, which it noted is the first day of Black History Month, NBC News reports. The board is offering the pilot program at more than 60 schools nationwide before it expands to additional schools.

“The official course framework incorporates this feedback and defines what students will encounter on the AP Exam for college credit and placement,” the College Board stated.

State education officials welcomed news of the revisions, adding that FDOE is pleased the “College Board recognized that the originally submitted course curriculum is problematic,” according to NBC News.

"AP courses are standardized nationwide, and as a result of Florida’s strong stance against identity politics and indoctrination, students across the country will consequentially have access to an historically accurate, unbiased course," a department spokesman said.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the announced revision would quiet the backlash DeSantis faced for his ban.

Opponents of the governor’s ban held a “Stop the Black Attack” Wednesday – one day after the College Board announced the curriculum change – at the Capitol’s fourth floor rotunda, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

At the rally, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced a possible lawsuit against DeSantis and the state. Speaking alongside the three Florida high school plaintiffs and co-counsel Craig Whisenhunt,  Crump called on DeSantis to negotiate with the College Board or face “a historic lawsuit.”

“Governor DeSantis, are you really trying to lead us into an era – akin to Communism – that provides censorship of free thought?” Crump asked.

Black faith leaders had also planned a march in Tallahassee next month before the College Board announced the changes.

DeSantis also faced rebuke from the Biden administration. “It is incomprehensible,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a Jan. 20 press conference, according to USA Today.  “Let’s be clear. They didn’t block AP European history. They didn’t block our art history. They didn’t block our music history. When you think about the study of Black Americans, that is what he wants to block.”