Bob Jones University has reiterated its apology for the school's past racial policies.
Back in 2000, Bob Jones University (BJU) came under fire after then-presidential candidate George W. Bush spoke at the school. During the media storm that ensued, past racial policies of BJU came to light, specifically the policy banning interracial dating and the failure to admit black students until 1971 -- almost 20 years after school segregation was ruled unconstitutional. In an attempt to quell the controversy, BJU officials repealed the interracial dating ban and apologized for past racial violations. Now a new statement on past BJU racial policies has been posted on the website. Once again, officials have apologized for past racial violations. The statement concludes, "The University solicits financial support for two scholarship funds for minority applicants, and the administration is committed to maintaining on the campus the racial and cultural diversity and harmony characteristics of the true Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world." OneNewsNow contacted BJU, and the spokesman said that he did not want to be quoted or attributed. However the University says the reasoning behind the new statement is because internet searches for BJU consistently bring up the racial policies that are no longer in effect. Also, BJU's new president since 2005, Stephen Jones, said he wanted to put the issue to rest once and for all. The University also claims that the statement was not in response to the recent election of America's first African-American president Barack Obama.
If you believe OneNewsNow.com is an important source for Christian news, please consider a small tax-deductible gift for this service.
