AP African American Studies Units: Full Course Breakdown

Key Takeaways

• AP African American Studies has 4 units that move from early African history to modern-day issues and culture.

• The course mixes history, literature, art, and social studies to explore African and African American experiences.

• Students study everything from ancient African kingdoms to the Civil Rights Movement and present-day activism.

• The class builds skills in critical thinking, research, and analysis that are useful for many other AP subjects.

Introduction: What Is AP African American Studies?

Are you thinking about taking AP African American Studies (opens in a new tab)? This course covers a lot of fascinating topics, from ancient African kingdoms to modern-day social movements. An overview of how it’s organized can help you make a study plan and prepare for the exam.

AP African American Studies is unique because it combines many subjects, like history, literature, art, geography, and science. These are combined to tell the story of African and African American people through time. You’ll study both historical events and personal stories that helped to shape communities and culture.

The course is split into four main units, each following a timeline from early African history to the world we live in today. You’ll work with maps, art, documents, and writings to help you think critically and make connections between the past and the present.

Overview of the 4 AP African American Studies Units

AP African American Studies is divided into four units. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to cover in each of them.:

Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora

In this unit, you’ll travel back in time to learn about early African society and how it’s linked to modern African and African American communities in the US. You’ll start with an overview of African American Studies and how it has evolved over time.

Starting with the ancient societies of Africa, you’ll look at maps, art, and stories that show the richness of African cultures. This unit takes a look at the various ethnic groups and languages that have developed in specific regions and societies. Then, you’ll explore how these cultures are interconnected to the rest of the world. 

You’ll also study the transatlantic slave trade, and how millions of Africans were forced across the ocean, and how this created the African diaspora, or communities of African descendants living around the world.

The focus of this first unit is on how African people kept their culture, identity, and traditions alive globally.

Topics can include:

• Population Growth

• Evolution of Languages and Dialects

• Ancient African Societies

• Religious Traditions

• Global Africans

Unit 2: Freedom, Enslavement, and Resistance

This unit focuses on how African people ended up in North and South America, and how they changed history. You'll discover that some Africans came as free explorers, but others were cruelly forced into slavery. Ultimately, they created a whole new African American culture once they arrived. 

The unit studies will also include powerful stories written by enslaved people themselves, discovering how both men and women fought against slavery in different ways. Finally, you'll explore special days that celebrate freedom and remember that the struggle for equal rights didn't end with slavery. It's something people are still working on today. 

Unit 2 topics include:

• African American Explorers 

• Slave Trade 

• African American Culture

• Freedom Days

• Departure Zones

Unit 3: The Practice of Freedom

In this unit, you will learn how African Americans continued to fight for freedom and how life continued to evolve after the abolition and the Civil War. The fight for freedom crossed many stages, including cultural, social, and political struggles. Discover how people continued to define and fight for freedom even in the midst of opposition and rampant racism.

Topics you will cover include:

• Reconstruction Amendments

• Jim Crow Laws

• Black Women’s Rights and Leadership

• The Harlem Renaissance

• The New Negro Movement

• The Great Migration

Unit 4: Movements and Debates 

This final unit connects everything to modern times. You’ll take a look at how the African culture continues to affect and shape the African American culture of today. Unit 4 covers the many contributions African Americans have made to today’s society. Learn how their contributions have helped shape pop culture and the fields of technology, medicine, and science.

Topics may include information about:

• Black Political Thought

• Anticolonialism

• Major Civil Rights Organizations

• Evolution of African American Music (from spirituals to hip-hop)

• Black Studies

• Black Futures

• Afrofuturism

Frequently Asked Questions

How many units are in AP African American Studies?

There are 4 units that follow a timeline from early African civilizations to modern activism. The four units are: “Origins of the African Diaspora,” “Freedom, Enslavement, and Resistance,” “The Practice of Freedom,” and “Movements and Debates”.

Is there an AP exam for African American Studies?

Yes! The AP African American Studies exam (opens in a new tab)includes:

• Section I: 60 multiple-choice questions (60% of score)

• Section 1B: Individual Student Project (Exam day validation question) (1.5% of score)

• Section II: 4 free-response questions (30% of score)

• Individual Student Project (3-week project) (8.5% of score)

How does AP African American Studies connect to other AP courses?

 This class links closely with several other AP subjects:

• AP U.S. History: You’ll see many overlapping topics, especially in Units 2–4.

• AP English Literature: You’ll read and analyze works by African American authors.

• AP Human Geography and AP Psychology: These help you understand migration, identity, and social change.

Overall, this class helps you build skills like critical thinking, source analysis, and argument writing, which are helpful for many other AP courses and for college.

Final Thoughts

The four units of AP African American Studies take you on an incredible journey from early African empires to today’s social movements.

You’ll study how African people created, protected, and reshaped their cultures through centuries of change and challenge.

If you’re interested in history, culture, social justice, or storytelling, this course has a lot to offer. It helps you think deeply about the past and connect it to the world you live in today.

The more curiosity and effort you bring, the more rewarding it will be.

If you are looking for resources and study aids, Save My Exams provides a variety of AP study resources to help you succeed in your AP classes. Our study guides and past questions are exam-aligned and written by teachers to help you boost your score. 

Resources

College Board Course Overview (opens in a new tab)

College Board AP African American Studies Exam (opens in a new tab)