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Rodney · 03-20-2006, 06:35 PM

Like djtestudo said... as far as NASCAR is concerned, it's a cultural milestone. NASCAR has been about as southern/white/good-old-boy as any nationally-known sporting league could be; many of the early NASCAR drivers got their start running moonshine in hopped-up cars, trying to stay ahead of the law. It really was how big-time stock-car racing got started.

There was a black driver 20 or so years ago; don't remember his name, but they did a movie about him. NASCAR heroes like Richard Petty _did not want him there._ But he had a career in NASCAR. After he left, nobody else black tried it for a while, because it was still pretty hard for a black man to get established; they weren't particularly welcome, couldn't get the sponsors, etc.

That's the real significance. Not that it's a special achievement for the black guy, but that it's one of two things that the news isn't overly saying:

1) Either NASCAR has calmed down on the race thing, and that's laudable; or
2) NASCAR hasn't calmed down on the racism, and a black guy is once again trying to make a place for himself in a southern white cultural bastion, which means he has a set of big ones; or
3) Some of 1 and some of 2; maybe there's more acceptance of minorities now, but it's still not that easy.

Racism is alive and well throughout this country, in some areas and institutions more than others. It's comforting to thing otherwise, but not true.

03-20-2006, 06:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	Like djtestudo said... as far as NASCAR is concerned, it's a cultural milestone. NASCAR has been about as southern/white/good-old-boy as any nationally-known sporting league could be; many of the early NASCAR drivers got their start running moonshine in hopped-up cars, trying to stay ahead of the law. It really was how big-time stock-car racing got started. There was a black driver 20 or so years ago; don't remember his name, but they did a movie about him. NASCAR heroes like Richard Petty _did not want him there._ But he had a career in NASCAR. After he left, nobody else black tried it for a while, because it was still pretty hard for a black man to get established; they weren't particularly welcome, couldn't get the sponsors, etc. That's the real significance. Not that it's a special achievement for the black guy, but that it's one of two things that the news isn't overly saying: 1) Either NASCAR has calmed down on the race thing, and that's laudable; or 2) NASCAR hasn't calmed down on the racism, and a black guy is once again trying to make a place for himself in a southern white cultural bastion, which means he has a set of big ones; or 3) Some of 1 and some of 2; maybe there's more acceptance of minorities now, but it's still not that easy. Racism is alive and well throughout this country, in some areas and institutions more than others. It's comforting to thing otherwise, but not true. Last edited by Rodney; 03-20-2006 at 06:38 PM..