DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR’s push for inclusion and stand against racial and social injustice continued Wednesday with the banishment of the Confederate flag from all of the sanctioning body’s properties and events.
“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,” read a NASCAR statement. “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 ban on Confederate flags comes amid continued civil unrest in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died May 25 after a Minneapolis (Minn.) police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest.
That incident led to the arrest of all four officers involved in Floyd’s arrest, as well as protests and marches demanding change across the United States.
NASCAR and its drivers made a public stand in the interest of change with 30 seconds of silence prior to Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. NASCAR President Steve Phelps also gave a public address to the drivers and fans before the race.
“Our country is in pain and people are justifiably angry, demanding to be heard,” Phelps said during his speech. “The black community and all people of color have suffered in our country, and it has taken far too long for us to hear their demands for change. 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.”
Wednesday’s decision was further fueled by comments made by Richard Petty Motorsports driver Bubba Wallace during an interview with CNN, in which he called for the removal of the Confederate flag and said there is “no place” for them at NASCAR races.
“There should be no individual that is uncomfortable showing up to our events to have a good time with their family that feels some type of way about … an object they have seen flying,” said Wallace. “No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them.”
NASCAR previously asked fans to refrain from displaying Confederate flags in 2015, in tandem with a statement signed by the track operators on the NASCAR circuit.
That statement came a day after Daytona Int’l Speedway officials offered to exchange American flags for surrendered Confederate flags.
“The narrative on that before, I wasn’t bothered by it, but I don’t speak for everybody else; I speak for myself,” Wallace continued. “What I am chasing is checkered flags. That was kind of my narrative, but diving more into it and educating myself, people feel uncomfortable about that, people talk about that. That’s the first thing they bring up.
“There are going to be a lot of angry people that carry those flags proudly, but it’s time for change.”