COLUMBIA, Nov 22: A fundamentalist Christian university has apologised for racist policies, including a one-time ban on interracial dating that wasn’t lifted until nine years ago and its unwillingness to admit black students until 1971.

Bob Jones University, founded in 1927, said its rules on race were shaped by culture instead of the Bible, according to a statement posted on its website.

The university, with about 5,000 students, didn’t begin admitting black students until nearly 20 years after the US Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown versus Board of Education ruling found public segregated schools were unconstitutional.

“We failed to accurately represent the Lord and to fulfil the commandment to love others as ourselves. For these failures we are profoundly sorry. Though no known antagonism towards minorities or expressions of racism on a personal level have ever been tolerated on our campus, we allowed institutional policies to remain in place that were racially hurtful,” the statement said.

The interracial dating ban was lifted in March 2000, not long after the policy became an issue in the Republican presidential primary. Then-candidate George W. Bush was criticised when he spoke at the school during one of his first campaign stops.

Bob Jones University President Stephen Jones decided to issue the apology because the school still receives questions about its views on race.

The leader of the South Carolina National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People said the civil rights group welcomed the statement.

“It’s unfortunate it took them this long — particularly a religious, faith-based institution — to realise that we all are human beings and the rights of all people should be respected and honoured,” said Lonnie Randolph, president of the association’s state chapter. —AP