NASCAR has banned the Confederate flag from all of its events, races and properties effectively immediately.
NASCAR’s lone black driver Bubba Wallace called for the banning of the confederate flag earlier this week and in a statement issued on Wednesday, the governing body of the series confirmed the flag will be banned, having previously only been “disallowed” at races.
“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,” a statement read. “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.”
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The banning of the confederate flag comes in the midst of uproar across the United States and much of the world over police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death on May 25 in Minneapolis. Last week, NASCAR also removed guidelines requiring all team members to stand for the national anthem at events.
The current NASCAR season kicked off on February 9 at Daytona International Speedway but was put on hold after the FanShield 500 event at Phoenix Raceway on March 8 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The season restarted on May 17 with The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway.
In a statement issued shortly after the death of George Floyd, NASCAR denounced racism.
“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 and senseless violence and loss of life. And we must all hold ourselves accountable to driving positive change,” a statement read.
