Proud To Be A Bob Jones University Alumnus

Always have been. And it's not just because their world-class choir can do a world class job with the Hallelujah Chorus. You can play that in the background while you read the rest of this entry. The video is great, too.

It came to my attention that a few weeks ago, BJU made a "Statement About Race at Bob Jones University." The university, like most southern colleges, was segregationist and did not enroll African-American students prior to 1971; it did not remove its ban on interracial dating until 2000. As a student there between those two dates, I was fully aware that antagonism and racism at a personal level was directly in violation of school rules and policies, and was virtually nonexistent on the campus. These were not major issues during my time there.

The statement (see link above) is an absolutely classy, yet humble, apology. Their policies, long since corrected, were wrong; now they have come clean about the matter. I hope this settles this issue once and for all in the eyes of everyone.

My biggest disappointment on this matter was the class-less way that a small percentage of alumni and "friends" of the University demanded this. There were vitriolic internet postings and rude demands from some, devoid of the Christian love and brotherhood that we should show to a brother whom we believe is in the wrong. I would expect that there will be some in the world, without connection to BJU, who would express such attitudes—indeed, for some, even this statement will not suffice. I trust now that all alumni and friends of the University will support this statement and support the University with their prayers and encouragement.