The vast majority of NASCAR fans are white and many live in the South, where NASCAR originated. Journalist Mark Alesia pointed out in The Indianapolis Star in 2015 that the flag had created challenges for a company trying to grow its fan base and attract a wider array of corporate sponsors. "The image of the Confederate flag is not something that should play an official role in our sport as we continue to reach out to new fans and make NASCAR more inclusive," NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said in a prepared statement at the time. Officials indicated they worried about a negative reaction to the flag, a popular symbol among white supremacists. Three years before that, officials canceled plans for the “General Lee” - a bright orange car from the “Dukes of Hazard” TV show that had a large Confederate flag on its roof - to drive a parade lap around Phoenix International Raceway to kick off a Sprint Cup Series race. In 2015, NASCAR and racetrack officials asked fans to stop displaying the flag at racing events after photos emerged showing the man who shot and killed nine Black people at a Charleston church posing with it in the months leading up to the massacre. Years before NASCAR banned the Confederate flag, the auto racing giant tried to distance itself from the highly divisive symbol that Sports Illustrated had noted was “as easy to find at NASCAR races as cutoff jeans, cowboy hats and beer.” JThe Confederate flag helped NASCAR build its brand: 3 research papers worth readingīy Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist's Resource June 30, 2020 The Confederate flag helped NASCAR build its brand: 3 research papers worth readingīy Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist's Resource
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |