Confederate flags are seen flying over the infield campground prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 6, 2015 in Darlington, South Carolina.
Jerry Markland | Getty Images
NASCAR said Wednesday that it is is banning the display of the Confederate flag at all events and properties of the auto-racing giant.
The decision comes more than two weeks after a black man, George Floyd, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
The incident ignited protests nationwide, and triggered demands that symbols of the Confederacy be removed from public places.
“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,” NASCAR said in a prepared statement that was issued before its race Wednesday night at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.
“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.”
On Sunday, the racer Bubba Wallace, the only black full-time driver on the NASCAR circuit, wore a shirt bearing the words “I Can’t Breathe/Black Lives Matter” before a race in Atlanta.
“My next step would be to get rid of all Confederate flags,” Wallace said in a CNN interview the following day.
“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.”
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