People grow through learning from their mistakes, and the same goes for nations. As teachers often say, "If you don't learn your history, you're doomed to repeat it." In spite of this, Oklahoma lawmakers voted to ban Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History, a non-required college-level course offered to gifted high school students.
Oklahoma lawmakers believe that AP U.S. History teaches students "what is bad about America" -- and according to Think Progress, under a similar proposal in Colorado, "students would only be taught lessons depicting American heritage in a positive light."
But no country's history is 100% positive, and we can't fix our mistakes to become a stronger country if we don't know about them. AP does teach the bad parts of our nation's history -- such as war and slavery -- along with positive aspects of our art and cultural history. College-bound students can earn college credit through passing the AP exam, which can save them money and time in higher education.
Georgia and North Carolina are considering similar bans on the AP course. Stop this trend today. No matter where you live, please sign and share the petition to urge your governor to keep AP U.S. History in your state's high schools!
