NASCAR Doubles Down on Anti-Racism Stance, Bans Confederate Flag at Events
NASCAR has been working on the ideas of inclusion and diversity for some time now, and last Monday, June 1, the organization took a big public leap forward with the following statement:
“The NASCAR family, like so many others, is hurt and angered by the immensely troubling events that have taken place across our country in recent weeks. For us to heal and move forward as a nation, we all need to listen more and be united in the stand against racism, hatred, senseless violence and loss of life. And 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 and we fully embrace our responsibility to help bridge the racial divide that continues to exist in our country. We must do better and our commitment to promoting equality and inclusion continues and will never waver.”
The sport has seen a number of efforts at increasing racial and gender diversity both behind the wheel and behind the scenes, including the Drive for Diversity program, but such a public statement is rare.
Prior to Sunday’s Cup Series race this past weekend in Atlanta, NASCAR shared a video initiated and created by many of the drivers including Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez who were joined by Ty Dillon, Jimmie Johnson, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and others.
We will listen and learn!#BlackLivesMattters pic.twitter.com/AYoYdY8IlX
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 7, 2020
On Wednesday, June 9th, NASCAR followed that up, releasing a statement regarding Confederate flags at their 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. 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.”
As NASCAR prepares to once again welcome fans back into their stadium, these statements set the tone for what the organization hopes to represent. Whether it’s true inclusion, or simply reading the room, NASCAR is, in theory, looking ahead to a future of inclusion, and that is something to celebrate.