NASCAR driver Darrell “Bubba” Wallace said he is “really proud” of NASCAR’s decision to ban Confederate battle flags.
Wallace, the only black driver in NASCAR’s Cup Series, said Tuesday he supported the flag’s removal, and the following day, NASCAR announced that it would bar the Confederate symbol from all events.
“I’m just really proud of the efforts of NASCAR for stepping up and wanting to be a part of change,” Wallace said Thursday on ABC’s Good Morning America. “I think this is the most crucial time and time is of the essence right now in the world that we’re in, in the nation that we’re in, to create change and create unity and come together and really try to be more inclusive.”
Wallace said fellow drivers have been largely supportive, and he is “very gracious to have an elite group of drivers that are willing to stand up for what’s right.”
He added, “It just shows the kind of respect we have for each other, on the track maybe not so much, but off the track we definitely work together, come together, as one.”
The No. 43 driver said that while the flag might symbolize heritage for some, for the black community it is “a symbol of hate and it brings back so many bad memories. … There’s no good that comes with that flag, and that’s the message we’re trying to get across.”
One Truck Series driver, Ray Ciccarelli, quit NASCAR following its decision about the Confederate flag.
The Navy announced on Tuesday that it was drafting an order to ban the Confederate battle flag, joining the Marine Corps, which announced a similar policy in April.
Protests calling attention to police brutality and systemic racism began across the country after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was filmed being pinned to the ground by a white police officer. Before dying in police custody, Floyd pleaded for his life as the officer pressed his neck for nearly nine minutes.
“Our voices just haven’t been heard, and I think up to this point, things are really starting to change,” Wallace said of the demonstrations calling for improved police-community relations. “I’m proud of the community coming together — from all backgrounds — coming together and trying to change the image of America and allow and make black lives matter. And that’s what’s special, it takes all of us, takes all lives, to come together and create change, create unity.”
