By Priscilla Rahn | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
What is education for? Education is about searching for the truth, analyzing and differentiating good ideas from bad. Imagine a classroom where students are inspired to be creative, independent, taught self-determination and invested in the power of capitalism.
As a conservative, Republican and descendant of enslaved Africans, I believe in personal responsibility, freedom and the promise of America’s founding ideals. These traits are foundational to American greatness.
Advanced Placement (AP) African-American Studies teaches students these ideals through historical analysis. This course is not CRT, which has become weaponized to define the human experience as solely and completely about our race, rather, it is a valuable tool for understanding our shared American story. The distinction is important.
It is important that critics not judge a curriculum based on its title. AP African American Studies is not about guilt or division. It examines facts, events and people who shaped the United States, thus fostering understanding rather than indoctrination.
It focuses on the resilience, creativity, and contributions of Black Americans, highlighting stories of leaders like Booker T. Washington, who championed ideals of vocational education and business as paths to equality. Washington emphasized building wealth and skills over dependence on government programs.
Frederick Douglass, a towering Republican thinker, emphasized education as a pathway to freedom. “Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave,” he declared. By learning real history, young African-Americans see themselves as part of a narrative of strength and resilience, not perpetual victimhood.
From Madam C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in the U.S., to “Black Wall Street” in Tulsa, African-Americans have demonstrated entrepreneurial excellence despite immense obstacles. Learning about these achievements instills pride and a spirit of innovation in students.
I remember being inspired in my first Leadership Program of the Rockies class when Dr. Thomas Krannawitter passionately defended President Lincoln’s politics and dissected the Declaration of Independence. His detailed analysis of America’s journey from slavery to freedom shed light on courageous abolitionists who shaped our history.
This kind of learning is essential and students of all backgrounds deserve to learn this history — rooted in the triumphs and struggles of African-Americans — to appreciate how it shaped the nation and continues to inspire today.
Teaching AP African American Studies provides context for understanding political dynamics. Students can analyze how historical and economic policies affect communities and how African-Americans have influenced political change. This perspective equips them to think critically about their place in society and how they can shape the future.
Critics who conflate AP African-American Studies with CRT misunderstand both. Studying history, “warts and all,” does not mean condemning America; it means celebrating its ability to grow and improve. It means acknowledging the sacrifices and achievements of those who came before us.
Teaching this history empowers students to apply their mind, dream big, to innovate, and to embrace the principles of capitalism that have allowed so many to rise. We should ensure the next generation understands the full scope of our nation’s heritage.
AP African-American Studies gives students a comprehensive understanding of pivotal moments in our history. Consider the sacrifices of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, who steered our country through the Civil War. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments are milestones in history. Teaching these milestones helps students understand how America has confronted its flaws while striving to live up to its ideals.
These amendments abolished slavery, granted citizenship to all born in the United States, and gave Black men the right to vote. Yet, without understanding the full context — how these amendments came to be and the resistance they faced — young people may miss the significance of these triumphs of liberty over oppression.
In 2024, President Donald Trump earned 20% of the Black vote; a 7-point increase from 2020. This shift reflects a growing recognition among African-Americans of the importance of economic opportunity and policies promoting self-reliance. Trump’s initiatives, like opportunity zones and criminal justice reform, resonated with many in the Black community who saw the tangible benefits of these policies.
I believe that expanding economic opportunity — not government programs — is the key to lifting communities. Education is the foundation for that growth.
Let’s support this course, not as a concession to liberal agendas, but as an affirmation of conservative values: truth, independence and the promise of the American Dream for all. By teaching the full story of African-American history, we strengthen our nation, honor our ancestors and inspire future generations to rise above challenges and embrace the boundless opportunities of liberty.
Priscilla Rahn is a former vice chairwoman of the Colorado Republican Party, a Project 21 ambassador and a master teacher.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.