By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The mayor of Daytona Beach couldn't wait to post the news on his Facebook page.
"NASCAR has banned Confederate flags at racetracks," Derrick Henry wrote two hours ago.
The mayor of Daytona Beach couldn't wait to post the news on his Facebook page.
"NASCAR has banned Confederate flags at racetracks," Derrick Henry wrote two hours ago.
The statement from Daytona Beach-based NASCAR reads as follows:
"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. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."
Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's lone African-American driver on the top racing circuit on Monday urged for the ban on Confederate flags, seen as symbols of celebration of the era of slavery in the U.S. often displayed by fans at NASCAR races. The flags are seen as a symbol of pride in the heritage of the American South from which NASCAR was borne more than half a century ago.
“Get them out of here -- they have no place for them,” said Wallace, whose race car now is adorned with a "Black Lives Matter" paint scheme.
"Bravo!" was Wallace's reaction after learning of NASCAR's decision to ban the flying of Confederate flags by fans at its race. tracks.
The sports world has embraced peaceful protests by Black Lives Matter and others in reaction to the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis cops, where one of them, Derek Chauvin, had his knee pressed into Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes while he was handcuffed and on his stomach, and stated repeatedly, "I can't breathe."
All four cops were fired the next say by the police chief, but that didn't';t stop violent protests that went on for days and spread across the country. The protests turned more peaceful after the ex-cops were arrested - Chauvin, initially charged within third-degree murder and upgraded later to second-degree murder. The other three were charged with aiding and abetting.
The National Football League on Friday acknowledged had not taken kneel-down protests during the playing of the American anthem by Colin Kaepernick and others as it should have.
“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said after some of its star players had called upon the league in a video to address the subject.
At a Nascar race in Atlanta on Sunday, Steve Phelps, the organization’s president, asked drivers and fans to take a moment of reflection.
“The Black community and all people of color have suffered in our country, and it has taken far too long for us to hear their demands for change,” Phelps said.”Our sport must do better. Our country must do better.”
About the Byline Writer:
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.
Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.