The unexpected attention comes after Wallace last month asked NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag. Just a few days later, NASCAR and the FBI launched an investigation after a crew member discovered what appeared to be a rope in Wallace’s garage on the Talladega Superalla.
The FBI report later found that the item had been in the team’s garage since last year and that Wallace was therefore not a victim of a hate crime.
After the investigation, the 26-year-old has spoken out about racism and subsequently received a backlash, which included President Donald Trump apologizing to the driver.
“I have had more encounters with racist people than ever before in my life in the past few weeks. All because I spoke,” he wrote, in an essay titled “Come Ride With Me.”
FBI investigation
Wallace, the only black driver on NASCAR’s top circuit, says the recent investigation has been “really difficult” to deal with and has been frustrated by the test.
“I will say this [about the noose]. Having been in garage stalls on a normal day, hell, you don’t notice that kind of thing, “he wrote.
“There is usually so much action when you are in the garage, usually. And even for me, just standing there, when I get out of the car and watch my boys work for a minute, I’m not looking at anything rope hanging from the garage door .
“And so, whoever tied him up, tied him up and left him there, and that was it. And he kept going. We are only in Talladega twice a year. And so, the reason he sat there is because that was the first Once the garage had been used since October. “
Confederate flags
Wallace says people have tried to use the investigation to discredit him, especially after he spoke about the use of Confederate flags.
The symbol has become synonymous with his sport over the years, but, after educating himself on its history, Wallace called for an end to its use.
“It just alienates people. I’m still educating myself on these issues like everyone else,” he wrote, saying he knew he would be putting a target on his back when speaking.
“If you dive deep and read about the Confederacy, which I’m still learning from, you’ll understand what those people were fighting for.”
“People will say anything to defend it. But make no mistake: it was a war for slavery. It was about the South trying to keep its slaves.”
Last month NASCAR announced that the Confederate flag would be banned at all official events in response to global protests against racial injustice and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd.
Wallace welcomed the decision, saying the sport he loves finally has a chance to impose real change.
However, in a race in Tennessee on Wednesday, a plane flew a Confederate flag on the track before Bristol Motor Speedway, proving that the problem is far from over with certain NASCAR fans.
‘I’m energized’
Although he never wants to be in the spotlight, Wallace wants to use his position to continue to fight for change and has praised the Black Lives Matter movement that has gained momentum in recent months.
In his essay, Wallace explains his own experiences with racism, one of which he says happened recently.
He says an undercover police officer advised him to stop before questioning whether he could afford the car he was driving.
“Listen, I’m new to all of this. I’m still learning. But I’ve never been the type to follow the crowd because it’s safe or easy, and I’m not going to start now,” he wrote.
“We have a lot of work to do, but I’m ready for anything. I may be tired now, but I have energy for what the future holds.”
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