NASCAR did the right thing Wednesday by supporting the movement to remove the Confederate flag from the State House grounds in Columbia, S.C.
It was not only the politically correct position, but really the only stance it could take. The only stance that any business, institution or professional sports organization can properly take in these emotionally charged times.
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Now NASCAR must take an even stronger stance and prohibit fans from displaying the controversial flag at its tracks and races.
The flag has created a firestorm of controversy since nine African-Americans — six women and three men — were shot to death during a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Dylann Roof, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, reportedly has confessed to the killings, saying he wanted to start a race war. His racist manifesto includes dozens of photos of him with the Confederate flag, a symbol for his hatred toward African-Americans.
The flag has long been a symbol of racism and slavery, but that position has never been more clear or widespread than it is today.
To many Southerners, the flag has been a symbol of pride. To many, it stands not for slavery and the ugly side of the Civil War but for history, heritage, states’ rights and the sovereignty for which Confederate soldiers fought.
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But thanks to organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups, that perspective has diminished over time. Now, sparked by a groundswell of outrage and horror over the Charleston shootings, the Stars and Bars is now an undeniable symbol of racism and hate. That view has never been more profound than following the atrocities committed last week, an act of evil that caused a nation to rally around the movement to remove the flag from government property.
The raging debate has dominated national headlines and impacted many facets of our lives, including the sports world, where numerous coaches, players and teams have supported the call for the flag to be removed in South Carolina, Alabama and other states.
NASCAR joined the outcry Wednesday. Now it must take a leadership role and make the boldest move yet — ban the flag from all of its tracks and prohibit its fans from displaying it.
Few sports have a longer and more visible history with the Confederate flag than NASCAR, a sport with deep roots in the South. Since the 1950s, events like the Dixie 400, the Rebel 400 and the prestigious Southern 500 have given NASCAR fans the opportunity to celebrate their southern heritage and culture. The symbol for that tradition has been the Confederate flag, which was once displayed prominently during victory lane celebrations and track promotions and has always flown freely atop campers and RVs at many races.
That tradition continues today. Attend a race at Darlington, Talladega and other tracks and you will see hundreds of Confederate flags flapping in the breeze and splashed across T-shirts and other apparel.
That must stop.
Now.
Darlington Raceway, located two hours from Charleston and just down the road from the state capital, must ban the display of the Confederate flag, starting with September’s prestigious Southern 500. The race, one of NASCAR’s biggest, will return to its traditional Labor Day weekend date this year, a significant move for NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway.
Confederate flag flying at Darlington (Getty Images)For the first time in its history, it should be run without the embarrassing backdrop of the Confederate flag. It should be banned from the infield, from the grandstands and anywhere on track property.
That would send a clear message that NASCAR is serious about its protest against the flag and what it now stands for.
Talladega Superspeedway, the sport’s largest track, should follow suit, following the example of Alabama’s government, which removed the Confederate flag from state grounds on Wednesday. How can two of the largest sports facilities in South Carolina and Alabama continue to allow the public display of a symbol that has either been banished or is under fire by their own state government?
NASCAR will be reluctant to make such a move. It has always put its fans first and been hesitant to make unpopular changes. It would risk offending a large and important faction of its already dwindling fan base with such a controversial move.
It was careful Tuesday in the wording of its statement on the issue. While supporting the effort to remove the flag in South Carolina, it pointed to its “long-standing policy to disallow the use of the Confederate Flag symbol in any official NASCAR capacity,” while also emphasizing “that freedom of expression is an inherent right of all citizens.”
International Speedway Corp., NASCAR’s sister company that is owned by the France family, pointed to its policy of prohibiting the sale of “Confederate Flag material” on track property.
Both organizations emphasized that they welcome all fans, with NASCAR saying that it strives for “an inclusive environment at our events.” But it’s hard to imagine a NASCAR event being “inclusive” with a symbol of hate and racism flying prominently at the track, a situation that corporate sponsors can’t be happy about.
NASCAR and its tracks have yet to address the issue of fans flying the Confederate flag, with Darlington Raceway president Chip Wile saying only that the “history and heritage of the Darlington Raceway is really important.”
Critics will argue that such a move would violate freedom of speech and expression, but sports teams throughout the country have set a precedent for prohibiting offensive actions and expressions. Fans are routinely escorted from sports venues for signs and slogans that are considered offensive.
What could be more offensive in this day and age than the Confederate flag?
African-American team owner and ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty, for one, would like to see the flag disappear at NASCAR races.
“There’s only so much that you can do with an issue like this if you’re NASCAR,” Daugherty, a former NBA star and current co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing, said Tuesday on Sirius XM radio.
“But I will tell you, being an African-American man going to the racetrack and seeing the Confederate flag — and I’m a different egg or a different bird because I’m a Southern kid, I’m a mountain kid, I hunt and fish, I love racing,” Daugherty said. “But to walk into the racetrack — and there’s only a few that you walk into and see that Confederate flag — it does make my skin crawl. And even though I do my best to not acknowledge it or to pay any attention to it, it’s there and it bothers me because of what it represents.”
NASCAR, which relies on sponsors and corporate partners for its survival, has tried hard to distance itself from the flag over the years. Officials bristle at photographs that show the Confederate flag at races. In 2012, NASCAR nixed a plan by PGA star Bubba Watson to drive his “Dukes of Hazzard” General Lee car — with the Confederate flag on the roof — around Phoenix International Raceway before a race.
It also has made great strides with diversity in the past 10 years. There are now African-American officials up and down pit road, African-American crewmen in the garage and African-American fans in the grandstands. NASCAR supports a strong diversity program to develop minority drivers. It’s even close to having an African-American driver in its top series, with Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. winning races in the truck series and showing the potential to succeed in Sprint Cup.
NASCAR made a lot of right moves in recent years to distance itself from its ugly past and become more inclusive. Now it must take another giant step.
Ban the Confederate flag at races and show the world it does not tolerate symbols of racism and hate.
