AP African American Studies is a new class being added to the curriculum for the 2024-2025 school year.
“We don’t have a ton of elective options so we think this is a great opportunity to add a unique, challenging course,” Steve Lamberti, humanities department chair, said.
Jeffrey Purdom, social studies teacher, will be teaching this new class, which will account for one social studies credit, with the opportunity to also earn college credit by taking a test at the end of the year. Purdom said any students interested in history should take this course.
“This is something that gives you a broader perspective of the things that you can learn about and I think that’s really important,” Purdom said.
According to Collegeboard, this is the first year the class will be running, so there are not a lot of schools offering it. Lamberti said that he believes this is a great opportunity for many of the students here.
“It’s a history that we don’t get to dig into, and this is going to be an opportunity to really take a deep dive into the who’s, what’s, where’s, why’s, and how’s of African American studies,” Lamberti said.
The class covers time dating back to the Great Kingdoms of Africa and all the way up to modern day America. Ubaldo Rodriguez, junior, said that seeing history from different perspectives will be beneficial to him.
“I am looking to go into government work, and this class can help me see how people view the government which can help make meaningful change,” Rodriguez said.
As an AP class, it is much more extensive than other classes, and Purdom said students should consider the commitment before taking it.
“AP classes are definitely a step above standard classes, as with the noticeable increase in work and difficulty, extra effort needs to be put in,” Nick Bobek, senior, said.
Though it is a class that may require extra attention, Lamberti said that it is a class worth the time and effort put into it.
“[Students] are going to develop their own set of skills and understanding: being able to debate topics, critically think about issues, and recognizing and understanding the why behind things,” Lamberti said.
Students have begun to enroll for the class, and Purdom said he wants to have enough students for one section this upcoming school year, then hopefully expand in future years to come.
“Anytime you can gain knowledge of different subject areas is always really fascinating and learning about people and their stories,” Purdom said.
