NASCAR announced that it will prohibit displays of the confederate flag at its events and properties.
The organization released this statement today:
“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.”
This comes a day after Bubba Wallace, the only African-American driver racing at the sport's highest level, said that he would like to see the flags removed.
Wallace posted this on his Twitter feed on Monday:
During a Wednesday interview with CNN, Wallace said,
"NASCAR has stepped up to the plate big time, they have reached out, the high ups at NASCAR, every single one of them have reached out.
"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've seen, an object they have seen flying. No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with confederate flags," Wallace said. "Get them out of here. They have no place for them."
Wallace acknowledged that he knows there's going to be a lot of angry people that carry the confederate flag proudly, but he believes it's time for change.
"We have to change that, and I encourage NASCAR to have those conversations to remove those flags," Wallace added.