Bob Jones University Apologizes because of its Racist Past
Bob Jones University, the Bible university in Greenville, South Carolina, would not acknowledge black colored pupils until the 1970s. Then, for a 30-year duration, interracial dating ended up being forbidden. Now the college has established that its polices had been incorrect.
Missing in the dazzling news reports for the election of a black colored guy as president regarding the usa is yet another event — this time around in advanced schooling — that appears as a milestone in racial progress. In a eloquent declaration, Stephen Jones, great-grandson of this creator while the 4th president of Bob Jones University, has apologized for the institution’s racist past.
President Jones reported, “For nearly two hundreds of years Christianity that is american BJU with its initial phases, had been seen as an the segregationist ethos of US tradition. Consequently, for much too long, we permitted institutional policies race that is regarding be shaped more straight by that ethos than because of the maxims and precepts associated with Scriptures. We conformed to your tradition as opposed to provide an obvious christian counterpoint to it.
“by doing this, we neglected to accurately express the father and also to match the commandment to love other people as ourselves. For those problems our company is profoundly sorry. Though no understood antagonism toward minorities or expressions of racism on a level that is personal ever been tolerated on our campus, we permitted institutional policies to stay in position that have been racially hurtful.”
By means of back ground for this announcement that is remarkable review the racial reputation for Bob Jones University.
The university’s creator, Bob Jones, was a fundamentalist evangelist whom thought that the idea of development ended up being an abomination. He called the pope the anti-Christ and dismissed Catholicism being a “Satanic counterfeit.” He as soon as stated, “I would personally instead experience a saloon on every part compared to a Catholic within the White House.”
Jones Sr. ended up being for the view that twentieth-century blacks must be grateful to whites for bringing their ancestors for this national nation as slaves. If this hadn’t occurred, Jones composed in 1960, “they might nevertheless be over here within the jungles of Africa, unconverted.” Integrationists, based on Jones, were wrongfully wanting to expel boundaries that are natural Jesus himself had founded.
With the aid of rich supporters, Bob Jones founded an university near Panama City, Florida, in 1926. Bibb Graves, that has simply been elected governor of Alabama with all the backing that is official of Ku Klux Klan, offered the keynote address during the groundbreaking ceremony. Whenever classes started in 1927 heated affairs reviews, admission of pupils had been formally limited to people of the race that is white a policy that persisted until 1971.
Experiencing Depression-related difficulties that are financial 1933, Bob Jones ended up being obligated to offer the Florida land and move their university to Cleveland, Tennessee. In 1936 a new billy graham joined this new Bob Jones university in Tennessee. But he quickly became disenchanted along with its strict religious doctrine and social policies and utilized in Florida Bible Institute. In 1947 Bob Jones university moved once again, this time around to its current website in Greenville, sc. Now financially seem, the school started initially to provide master’s and degrees that are doctoral assumed the designation of the college.
Whenever Bob Jones Jr., the son for the creator, became the institution’s president, the institution’s was continued by him policies of rabid bigotry. During their tenure he bestowed degrees that are honorary George Wallace, Strom Thurmond, and Lester Maddox. Whenever Pope Paul VI passed away in 1978, Bob Jones Jr. called him the “archpriest of Satan, a deceiver, and then he has, like Judas, attended their own spot.”
Whenever Bob Jones III assumed the presidency for the organization in 1971, male pupils had been expected to wear coats and ties to classes. Females had been obliged to put on dresses or skirts. Rock music ended up being forbidden on campus. Pupils were forbidden from going to films. Pupils are not allowed to take off-campus times with out a chaperone. On campus, the university maintained two parlors that are“dating where pupils could satisfy to talk. Touching had not been permitted and kissing had been strictly forbidden regardless of if the few had been involved to be hitched. Male and students that are female maybe maybe not allowed to talk with one another after 7 p.m. The campus had been divided through the town of Greenville by an iron and barbed-wire fence.
Under government force, Bob Jones University finally started its doorways to unmarried students that are black. But strict regulations had been founded by the college to stop dating that is interracial. In 1976, throughout the management of Gerald Ford, the insurance policy on interracial relationship led to the Internal sales Service’s revoking the tax-exempt status of Bob Jones University retroactive to 1970. The IRS demanded the repayment of $490,000 in straight straight back taxes. The college appealed the ruling. Fundamentally, in 1981, the Supreme Court regarding the united states of america heard the truth. The newest Reagan management initially supported the positioning associated with college but, after having an outcry that is public switched edges. In 1983 the Supreme Court ruled against Bob Jones University in support of the IRS with a vote of 8 to at least one. The lone dissenter had been belated Chief Justice associated with the united states of america William Rehnquist.* On being encouraged regarding the choice associated with the Court, Bob Jones III ordered that the US flags on campus be flown at half-staff.
A public relations spokesman for the university, explained the school’s prohibition against interracial dating: “God has separated people for his own purposes in 1998 Jonathan Pait. He’s got erected barriers between the countries, not just land and ocean obstacles, but additionally cultural, social, and language obstacles. Jesus has made individuals distinct from each other and intends those distinctions to keep. Bob Jones University is in opposition to intermarriage of this events as it stops working the barriers Jesus has built.”
In 2000 the college finished its prohibition that is official against relationship. Now eight years later on, the college has admitted that its policies had been incorrect.
This modification of heart at Bob Jones University comes regarding the heels of current news that is good black colored enrollments during the nation’s other Bible universities. JBHE’s database implies that in 1997 there have been just nine Bible colleges where blacks composed 10 % or higher of total enrollments. Today you will find 29 schools that are such.
*William Rehnquist had an extended reputation for opposition to the development of blacks. He opposed the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education so that as a young gop pollwatcher in Arizona, Rehnquist ended up being active in challenging black voters’ skills.
For lots more in the racism of Rehnquist, see “The Racial Views for the Chief Justice for the united states of america,” JBHE, quantity 23, Spring 1999, p. 72.