In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death is a self-reflection on long-held beliefs and customs leading to a massive overhaul in the way Americans conduct themselves. We have discussed some of those changes in this blog–the NFL overruling its previous stance on player protests and diversity initiatives at Adidas. While these are certainly key to the larger discussion that we as a society must have, the steps taken today by NASCAR are nothing short of seismic.
It was already to be a big night for the stock car association with a race at Martinsville Speedway including a Black Lives Matter-themed car from driver Bubba Wallace.
As significant as that was, it wouldn’t prepare us for the news that dropped just hours before the first lap regarding a symbol that has been associated with NASCAR.
There are, of course, detractors to NASCAR’s announcement. You can click the tweet above to see the responses that users left if you think you can handle them. In all, the move from NASCAR indicates a turning point in race relations that is long overdue.