The Stars and Bars have been banned from the racetracks.
NASCAR announced Wednesday it was banning the Confederate flag from its races and properties, ESPN reported. The announcement formally distances the stock car organization from what many believe has been a symbol of racism and slavery, but had been a familiar sight on the circuit, particularly at its venues in the South.
“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," NASCAR said in a statement. "The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.”
NASCAR’s announcement comes after Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. said he would be racing in a car with a Black Lives Matter paint scheme at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. The race in Martinsville was scheduled for Wednesday night, and Wallace will be racing in the event.
Wallace, the lone black driver on NASCAR’s main circuit, wore a black T-shirt with the words “I Can’t Breathe,” referencing the words of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis who died May 25 after a white police officer used his knee to pin the man’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
Floyd’s death sparked demonstrations and civil unrest nationwide.
“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. “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.”
Wallace, 26, an Alabama native, told ESPN he was certain a ban of the flags would spark criticism.
“There’s going to be a lot of angry people that carry those flags proudly, but it’s time for change,” Wallace said earlier this week. “We have to change that, and I encourage NASCAR -- we will have those conversations to remove those flags.”
Former NASCAR chairman Brian France tried to ban the flying of Confederate flags at race tracks in 2015, angering many fans, The Associated Press reported.
NASCAR did not say how it would enforce its policy or if it would have penalties for violators, the AP reported.