NASCAR has banned the Confederate flag from all events and properties
NASCAR announced Wednesday that it is banning the display of the Confederate flag from all of its events and properties.
“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 in a statement. “Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special.”
The decision follows the sport’s recent vocal commitment to promoting and supporting racial equality following nationwide protests sparked by the unjust murders of African Americans Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
Last week, the sanctioning body issued a statement in response to the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by Minnesota police in late May, saying that “we must all hold ourselves accountable to driving positive change.”
“While our sport has made progress over the years, there remains much work to be done,” the statement said. “And we fully embrace our responsibility to help bridge the racial divide that continues to exist in our country.”
After a NASCAR official took a knee during the national anthem as a form of protest before Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, driver Bubba Wallace, the only African-American driver in the sport’s top series, said the next step for NASCAR was to eradicate the Confederate flag from events.
“No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race,” Wallace told CNN on Monday. “So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here.”
Although the sanctioning body previously banned the flag from any official position and has long requested that fans not display what is seen by many as a symbol of slavery and white supremacy, Confederate flags still flew atop hundreds of fan trailers around campgrounds at this year’s Daytona 500 in February.
“Diving more into it and educating myself, people feel uncomfortable with (the flag),” Wallace said. “People talk about that. That’s the first thing they bring up. So there’s going to be a lot of angry people that carry those flags proudly, but it’s time for change.”
Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles tweeted in response to NASCAR’s decision thanking the sport for “doing the right thing.”
“You are so central to our Carolina culture and I’m glad spectators and fans of all races, particularly Black fans like me, will feel more welcomed and respected at your events!” Lyles tweeted.
The United States Marines and Navy recently banned the Confederate flag from its associated facilities following Floyd’s death “to ensure unit cohesion, preserve good order and discipline, and uphold the Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment,” Navy Admiral Michael M. Gilday said Tuesday.
“If you look at all the haulers, each and every weekend, they’ve got American flags flown all over the top of them,” this year’s Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin said Tuesday. “That’s what we salute when we do the national anthem.”
Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said in a statement said that the speedway supports NASCAR’s decision.
“Texas Motor Speedway is, and always will be, a place where everyone is welcome and included,” the statement said. “The family atmosphere that exists in the motor sports industry is second to none. We support NASCAR in its position on the confederate flag and will work together to remove it from our events and our sport.”
Prior to Wednesday, NASCAR’s last official statement on the subject came in 2015, when former CEO Brian France said the sport would “maintain its long-standing policy preventing the use of the Confederate Flag in any official position at our events.”
“We have been clear in support of this position throughout our industry and to those across the country who have called for the eradication of the Confederate Flag,” France’s statement said. “We will be as aggressive as possible to disassociate NASCAR events from an offensive and divisive symbol. We are working with the industry right now to achieve that goal.”
But five years ago, after nine people were murdered by a white supremacist at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C., NASCAR did not update its flag policy, leaving many to wonder if recent events could spark that change.
“You hear somebody like Bubba talk about it, how he feels about it, and it kind of wakes you up a bit,” driver Martin Truex Jr. said about the flag Tuesday.
“I think NASCAR’s going to do the right thing there.”
On Wednesday, fans received an answer.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 4:58 PM.
