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posted by martyb on Thursday June 11 2020, @01:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the A-See-Change dept.

Many sources are reporting what we can read at ABC News,

NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from its races and properties on Wednesday, formally distancing itself from what for many is a symbol of slavery and racism that had been a familiar sight at stock car events for more than 70 years.

The move comes amid social unrest around the globe following the death in police custody of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. Protests have roiled the nation for days and Confederate monuments are being taken down across the South — the tradtiional fan base for NASCAR.

[...] The issue was pushed to the fore this week as Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's lone black driver, called for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was "no place" for them in the sport. At long last, NASCAR obliged.

"The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR said. "Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."

[...] The move was announced before Wednesday night's race at Martinsville Speedway where Wallace, an Alabama native, was driving a Chevrolet with a #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme. Wallace got a shoutout on Twitter from several athletes, including NBA star LeBron James, for using the paint scheme in the race.


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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 11 2020, @05:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 11 2020, @05:58PM (#1006452)

    American stock car racing originated from bootlegging during Prohibition [themobmuseum.org], modifying cars to carry more alcohol and souping them up to outrun the police. How, exactly, does illegally transporting moonshine in souped up cars [smithsonianmag.com] have anything to do with the Confederacy?

    Here's a hint: it doesn't. NASCAR's origins are in the South and the sport is most popular there, but the history and culture of the sport isn't rooted in anything relating to the Confederacy. Bootlegging was hardly limited to the South and has nothing to do with Confederate flags or issues of race.

    As for the idea that respecting others means renouncing your identity altogether, here's what Dale Earnhardt thought about that [nbcsports.com].

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