Meet Kirk Price, the NASCAR official who took a knee during the national anthem

Amid the masked, mostly white faces at NASCAR’s Sunday race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, one official stood out. Kirk Price, a 49-year-old African American, saluted the flag from his knee during the national anthem.

“I come from humble beginnings and I believe in humble protesting,” Price said.

NASCAR condemned racial injustice and racism during its pre-race ceremony with a message from the sport’s president, Steve Phelps, as well as a video organized by Cup Series drivers that recognized Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, African Americans who were unjustly murdered this year because of their skin color. Floyd’s recent death at the hands of Minnesota police has sparked nationwide protests, which are continuing into a third week.

Just before Phelps’ voice came over the speaker, pastor John Dewberry delivered a pre-race prayer, and Price, with tears in his eyes, took a knee on the hot track and raised his right fist to the sky.

“All I could think about, of course, is Mr. Floyd and his family,” Price told the Observer on Sunday. “As well as the others that have passed from brutality from police and hostility in the world.”

Price, a North Carolina resident, is a technical inspector and race official for NASCAR. He said he transitioned into the sport just two years ago through the Drive for Diversity program, an academy program aimed at engaging female and ethnically diverse drivers and pit crew members with the highest level of racing.

He was kneeling between lines of team members when the voice of 12-year-old Keedron Bryant started singing the national anthem. Price, who said he served on active duty in the Army for three years, did not stand up. Instead, he raised his head and lowered his arm to salute the flag.

“I wasn’t thinking about anybody else,” Price said about the reaction. “I’m 49 years old and I’ve already witnessed things through what’s going on in the world as we speak.”

“I could only think about ‘what can I do to make the world a better place?’ ” he continued. “To where this gets out to where people can understand?”

Photos of Price kneeling were quickly shared on social media a thousand times over. While many have posted comments in support of Price, some messages under the photo read, “This is not a good look for NASCAR,” and, “Wrong message, wrong time. Bad for the sport.”

NASCAR’s sanctioning body has not shied away from the fact that the sport has historically lacked diverse voices. In addition to its recent effort to bolster discussions about racial injustice, it was swift to condemn driver Kyle Larson for using a racial slur earlier this year. Larson was fired by his team and suspended by NASCAR until completing a sensitivity training.

“The Black community and all people of color have suffered in our country and it has taken far too long to hear their demands for change,” Phelps said Sunday. “Our sport must do better. Our country must do better. The time is now to listen, to understand and to stand against racism and racial injustice.”

But kneeling during the anthem is uncharted water for NASCAR, which has deep military affiliations and a large Republican fan base.

“I fully respect the flag. I fully do,” Price said. “That’s not what the issue is here. The issue is African Americans being oppressed for so long under the flag.”

“I respect everyone’s opinion,” Price continued. “But to be honest with you, I know what the flag stands for and I know about Black people being oppressed because I am one.”

Price said he thought the move probably came as a surprise to those around him. A few crew members and drivers, including Bubba Wallace — the only African American driver in the Cup Series — wore t-shirts with the words “I Can’t Breathe/Black Lives Matter” before the race started, but Price’s move was seen as the most radical.

He said he didn’t tell anyone about his plans to kneel beforehand because he didn’t want to receive resistance from NASCAR.

“I agree with the protests and peaceful protesting,” Price said. “But not at all the violence and the rioting, tearing up businesses and things of that nature. I don’t agree with that.”

The race official, who has been traveling to conduct car inspections at all events since the season resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic, said he has been unable to attend protests in person because of the busy racing schedule.

Instead, Price supported the call for justice how he could Sunday.

“This touches all levels of sports,” Price said. “Whether it’s NASCAR, the NBA, the NFL, everybody feels it, you know? I’m just glad that I was able to show some type of support on the platform that I’m on.”

Price — who’s three years older than Floyd was when he died — might not be an NFL quarterback or an Olympic medalist. But on Sunday, Price did what African American men before him have done to make a statement when the cameras are rolling and they’re on center stage: He took a knee and raised a fist.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 6:00 AM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription