Ibrahim Gardner
Bob Jones University is a private Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina, with a history of conservative and evangelical cultural and religious positions. The university has faced scrutiny and legal battles over its policies and practices regarding race and racial discrimination. Until 1971, the university excluded Black applicants, and from 1971 to 1975, it only admitted married Black students. In this article, we will explore the history of Bob Jones University's racial policies and the steps it has taken to address its past discrimination, including regaining its nonprofit status 17 years after dropping its discriminatory admissions policies. We will also discuss the demographic makeup of the university's student body and its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year black students were allowed to study at Bob Jones University | 1971 |
| Year interracial dating ban was dropped | 2000 |
| Year Bob Jones University regained its federal tax-exempt status | 2017 |
| Year of the latest data on the percentage of black students | 2020 |
| Percentage of black students at Bob Jones University | 0.5% |
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What You'll Learn
Bob Jones University's history with black students
Bob Jones University (BJU) is a private Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina, founded in 1927. It was established as an institution of higher learning to help young men and women cultivate a biblical worldview, represent Christ and his Gospel, and glorify God in every dimension of life.
BJU's history has been characterized by striving to achieve these goals, but the university acknowledges that it has also failed in some areas. For almost two centuries, American Christianity, including BJU in its early stages, was influenced by the segregationist ethos of American culture. As a result, BJU allowed institutional policies regarding race that were racially hurtful and shaped more by cultural norms than by biblical principles.
Consequently, BJU did not admit any Black students until 1971, 17 years after the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision that declared racial segregation in US public schools unconstitutional. From 1971 to 1975, BJU only admitted married Black people, and during this period, the university also prohibited interracial dating among its students.
In March 2000, Bob Jones III, the university's president until 2005, apologized for BJU's past racial discrimination and acknowledged that the university was wrong in not admitting African-American students before 1971. He also announced the lifting of the university's policy against interracial dating. In 2008, BJU's then-president Stephen Jones, the great-grandson of the university's founder, reiterated the university's regret for its racially hurtful policies and affirmed its commitment to maintaining racial and cultural diversity.
Today, BJU enrolls students from all 50 states and nearly 50 countries, representing various ethnicities and cultures. While the university has taken steps to address its past failures regarding race, it continues to work towards fostering a more diverse and inclusive community.
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The University's current stance
Bob Jones University is a private Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina, with a student population of about 3,000. It was founded in 1927 by Christian evangelist Bob Jones Sr., who was concerned about the secularization of higher education and the influence of religious liberalism in denominational colleges.
The university has a history of discriminatory policies towards African Americans and interracial couples. Until 1971, the university excluded Black applicants and, from 1971 to 1975, only admitted married Black people. After 1975, unmarried Black applicants were allowed, but the university continued to deny admission to those engaged in or advocating for interracial relationships. In 2000, then-president Bob Jones III apologized for these policies and announced the lifting of the ban on interracial dating.
Today, Bob Jones University enrolls students from all 50 states and nearly 50 countries, representing various ethnicities and cultures. The university has expressed a commitment to maintaining racial and cultural diversity and harmony. According to the university's website, Scripture is their final authority, and it teaches that God created humanity as one race, with the potential for great diversity.
In recent years, Bob Jones University has taken steps to address its past discriminatory practices. In 2017, the university regained its federal tax-exempt status, more than three decades after it was stripped due to its discriminatory policies. The university has also sought regional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
While the university has made efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, recent data suggests that its student population remains predominantly white, with Black students making up only 0.5% of enrollment as of 2011.
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The University's accreditation and tax status
Bob Jones University (BJU) is a private Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina, with a history of conservative and evangelical cultural and religious positions.
Accreditation
BJU has been accredited by several organizations, including:
- The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which allows BJU to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate degrees, as well as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels.
- The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), recognized by the United States Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).
- The National Association of Schools of Music.
- The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
- The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
BJU's pursuit of accreditation began in 2004, and it achieved full membership in the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools in 2006. In 2011, the university decided to seek regional accreditation through SACSCOC, which it received in 2017.
Tax Status
Bob Jones University lost its tax-exempt status in the 1980s due to its policies against interracial dating and marriage, which were deemed racially discriminatory. The IRS and the Supreme Court ruled that the government's interest in eradicating racial discrimination in education superseded the university's First Amendment rights to religious free speech.
In 2000, BJU publicly apologized for its past racial discrimination and lifted its ban on interracial dating. The university began the process of regaining its tax-exempt status in 2014, and by 2017, it had successfully regained this status, now listed as a 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS.
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The University's stance on interracial dating
Bob Jones University (BJU) is a private Christian institution that has existed since 1927. The University's policies were, for a long time, influenced by the segregationist ethos of American culture.
BJU's stance on interracial dating has been a point of contention, with the University previously holding a strict prohibition on such relationships. The University's interpretation of Biblical principles led to a complete exclusion of Black applicants until 1971. From 1971 to 1975, the University only admitted Black students if they were married. After 1975, unmarried Black applicants were permitted to enroll, but the University continued to deny admission to applicants engaged in or advocating for interracial relationships. Disciplinary rules were imposed, stating that students who dated outside their race would be expelled.
In March 2000, Bob Jones III, the then-president of the University, acknowledged the wrongness of the University's previous policies. On a CNN interview with Larry King, he announced the lifting of the ban on interracial dating and apologized for the University's past racial discrimination.
The University's discriminatory policies resulted in a prolonged battle with the IRS over its tax-exempt status. The Supreme Court ruled in 1983 that the IRS could revoke the University's tax-exempt status due to its racially discriminatory admissions and dating policies. It was only in 2017 that the University regained its federal tax-exempt status, more than three decades after it was initially stripped.
Today, BJU enrolls students from diverse ethnicities and cultures, representing all 50 states and nearly 50 countries. While the University has taken steps to address its past failures, it continues to be governed by its Board of Trustees and seeks to align its policies with its interpretation of Scripture.
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Black student enrolment statistics
Bob Jones University (BJU) is a private Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina. It was founded in 1927 by Christian evangelist Bob Jones Sr., who was concerned about the secularization of higher education and the influence of religious liberalism in denominational colleges. The university has a history of conservative and evangelical cultural and religious positions.
BJU has a history of racial discrimination and segregationist policies. Until 1971, the university excluded Black applicants entirely. From 1971 to 1975, BJU only admitted married Black people. These discriminatory policies resulted in a prolonged battle with the IRS over the university's tax-exempt status as a religious educational institution. The IRS informed the university in 1970 that it planned to revoke its tax-exempt status due to its racially discriminatory admissions policies. In 1975, shortly before the announcement of the Supreme Court decision in Runyon v. The University Board of Trustees authorized a policy change to admit unmarried Black students.
In 2000, BJU's then-president Bob Jones III apologized for the university's past racial discrimination and announced the lifting of the policy against interracial dating. The university also sought to reinstate its tax-exempt status in 2014 and regained it in 2017.
Today, BJU enrolls students from all 50 states and nearly 50 countries, representing various ethnicities and cultures. While the university has made strides towards diversity and inclusion, its demographic makeup still leans heavily white. According to statistics from Wikipedia, about 90.3% of the student population is white, while Black students make up only 0.5% of enrollment.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Bob Jones University has allowed black students since 1971. From 1971 to 1975, only married black people were admitted.
The university has around 3,000 students, with a demographic makeup that leans heavily white (90.3%). Black students make up 0.5% of enrollment, with other non-black minorities making up the rest.
Yes, in 2000, Bob Jones III, the university's president until 2005, stated that the university was wrong in not admitting African-American students before 1971. In 2008, Stephen Jones, the great-grandson of the founder, also apologized for allowing institutional policies that were racially hurtful.
