AP African American Studies — Cheatsheet
Formulas, exam-day tips, and key terms on one page.
How to get a 5
- When analyzing historical sources, always consider the positionality of the author. An enslaver's journal and an enslaved person's narrative offer vastly different realities of the same event.
- Be prepared to connect past events to contemporary issues. The course emphasizes how historical structures (like redlining or the convict lease system) shape modern realities (like the racial wealth gap or mass incarceration).
- Recognize that African American history is not just a history of oppression, but a history of profound resistance, agency, and cultural creation. Emphasize how people fought back and built communities.
- Familiarize yourself with the major debates among Black leaders (e.g., Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. Du Bois, or MLK's nonviolence vs. Malcolm X's 'by any means necessary'). Understand the rationale behind both sides.
Key terms
Mali Empire & Mansa Musa — A wealthy West African empire known for trade (gold/salt) and Islamic scholarship (Timbuktu). Mansa Musa's 14th-century pilgrimage to Mecca displayed immense wealth.
Middle Passage — The brutal, forced transatlantic voyage of enslaved Africans to the Americas. Characterized by horrific conditions, disease, rebellion, and immense mortality.
Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) — The first successful slave rebellion in history, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture. Resulted in the establishment of Haiti as a free republic and terrified enslavers globally.
Fugitive Slave Act (1850) — Federal law requiring the return of escaped enslaved people to their enslavers, even if they reached free states. Enraged abolitionists and increased Underground Railroad activity.
Reconstruction (1865-1877) — Post-Civil War era. Marked by immense Black political participation (Hiram Revels) and the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments, before being violently dismantled by white supremacist "Redemption."
The Great Migration — The mass movement of millions of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North and West (approx. 1916-1970) to escape Jim Crow violence and find industrial jobs.
Redlining — Discriminatory practice by government and banks denying mortgages/loans to residents of predominantly Black neighborhoods, systematically preventing Black wealth accumulation.
Double V Campaign — WWII African American initiative fighting for two victories: victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism/Jim Crow at home.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) — Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in public schools is inherently unequal and unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.
Black Panther Party — Founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. Advocated for armed self-defense against police brutality and provided community survival programs (e.g., Free Breakfast for Children).
Intersectionality — Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw. The framework for understanding how various social identities (race, gender, class) intersect to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege.
Afrofuturism — A cultural aesthetic and philosophy that combines elements of science fiction, history, and fantasy to explore the African American experience and envision Black futures.