NASCAR bans Confederate flags from all races and properties

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing has banned all displays of the Confederate flag, just a day after its sole African-American driver Bubba Wallace called for the measure.

“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 statement on Wednesday, announcing the ban.

Displays of the Confederate flag will be “prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties,” the association said.

Wallace made the demand earlier this week, citing the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the end of May. 

"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,” Wallace told CNN on Tuesday. 

On Wednesday, Wallace announced his car will appear in a special ‘Black Lives Matter’ paint scheme for the Martinsville Speedway race.

A Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes, killing him in the process. Though the four officers involved in the arrest were quickly fired and charged over Floyd's death, protests quickly turned to riots and spread across the US. They also inspired a wave of demands for “racial justice,” including the removal of Confederate symbols, monuments and names. Minnesota is one of the northern states, and its troops fought against the Confederacy during the Civil War. 

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