Bubba Wallace Wants NASCAR To Ban Confederate Flags
The familiar scene of Confederate flags waved by fans at NASCAR tracks could soon be a relic of racing’s good ol’ boy roots.
Bubba Wallace — the lone black driver in the sport — this week declared it is time for the stock car series with deep ties to the South to ban the flag at its properties and formally distance itself from what for millions is an unwelcome symbol of slavery and racism.
The signs are everywhere that NASCAR could do so.
As the nation grapples with social unrest largely tied to the death of George Floyd after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes in Minneapolis, the predominantly white field of drivers united for a video promoting social change.
I will listen and learn pic.twitter.com/XWgautn4cy
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) June 7, 2020
A black NASCAR official took a knee before Sunday’s race near Atlanta in what may have been a first and the governing body vowed to do a better job of addressing racial injustice.
Wallace, who wore a black T-shirt with the words “I Can’t Breathe” at Sunday’s race, seized the moment and issued his clearest comments yet on the often thorny nature of race and racing: “My next step would be to get rid of all Confederate flags.”
A powerful statement from @BubbaWallace. pic.twitter.com/h1FwZvtRKE
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 8, 2020
The 26-year-old Alabama native, who finished second in the 2018 Daytona 500, has pushed NASCAR to the verge of issuing a ban of the Confederate flag whether part of its fan base agrees or not.
“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 something they have seen, an object they have seen flying,” Wallace told CNN.
Bubba Wallace, on CNN, said #NASCAR should ban the Confederate flag from race tracks.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 9, 2020
“No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them.”
NASCAR has been more open in recent times to the eradication of the Confederate flag, though it stopped short Tuesday of making any final decision on its fate.
Tomorrow night at @MartinsvilleSwy, @BubbaWallace will run a special #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme promoting racial equality. #CompassionLoveUnderstanding
Learn more: pic.twitter.com/MHWwNzIzFJ
— Richard Petty Motorsports (@RPMotorsports) June 9, 2020
NASCAR in 2015 asked fans to “refrain from displaying the Confederate Flag at our facilities and NASCAR events.”
Not everyone obliged and fans staunchly defended their Confederate flags and raised them from their RVs.
But as Confederate monuments are toppled around the South, those fans may have run out of time.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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