Ananeoo Scholarship

During a recent institutional service of confession & lament, Johnson University staff & faculty publicly confessed and repented for historic policies which admitted white and international students but barred African Americans until 1969.

In an earnest desire to make amends for past institutional sins and forge tangible change, a group of alumni is raising funds for a new endowed diversity scholarship. While a scholarship does not remedy the past or make full amends for past sins, it can be one way to remember the past and move forward toward reconciliation.

The Students Promoting Social Unity group on the Tennessee campus has decided to name this the Ananeoo Scholarship. They write, “Ananeoo is the Greek word for renewal. In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul writes to the church in Ephesus about unity in the body of Christ. In verse 23 he uses this word. It means to make new again, to make fresh, or to restore what was once broken. We want every student in our campus community to be equally recognized as a crucial part of not only Johnson University, but also the kingdom of God. SPSU’s desire is to advocate for all students so that every person feels they belong in our spaces, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We believe this name is clearly telling of that desire.”

All alumni and friends of the University are invited to contribute here.