GREENSBORO, N.C. — NASCAR announced Wednesday that Confederate flags would be prohibited at all races and properties.
NASCAR said the Confederate flag “runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry.”
The move comes after the organization’s only African American driver called 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 a symbol of slavery and racism.
Wallace has been outspoken since the death of George Floyd sparked protests and a global racial justice dialogue. He wore an "I Can't Breathe" t-shirt before last Sunday's race in Atlanta.
A black NASCAR official took a knee before Sunday’s race near Atlanta in what may have been a first for the series, and the governing body vowed to do a better job of addressing racial injustice.
Former chairman Brian France in 2015 tried to ban the flying of Confederate flags at race tracks, a proposal too broad to enforce and one that angered NASCAR’s core Southern-based fan base.
Wallace will make another statement Wednesday when NASCAR returns to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. He is driving a #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme for the Richard Petty Motorsports ' No. 43 Chevrolet.
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