Current:Home > ContactClaim of NASCAR bias against white men isn't just buffoonery. It's downright dangerous. -AssetBase
Claim of NASCAR bias against white men isn't just buffoonery. It's downright dangerous.
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:35:23
If you haven't heard about this, it will sound like a joke. But it's not. I mean, it is a joke. But it's real. Anyway, you ready? Here it is:
America First Legal, led by former Donald Trump goon named Stephen Miller, has requested that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which investigates allegations of discrimination against employers and has the authority to file lawsuits, investigate NASCAR for “illegal discrimination against White, male Americans.”
It seems like a joke because NASCAR has one Black driver in its Cup Series in Bubba Wallace, and just one non-American, Mexican driver, Daniel Suarez, racing full-time in its Cup Series. It also has no women Cup drivers since Danica Patrick retired following the 2018 Daytona 500.
NASCAR isn't known for being a beacon of diversity among its drivers. It's been attempting to change that with a series of diversity initiatives designed to bring more drivers of color and also diversify its staff.
But no one, absolutely no one, would look at NASCAR and say: You know, I think NASCAR doesn't have enough white people in it. So instead of its drivers being 99.999999 percent white, we need them to be even more white. Is it possible, Miller might ask, for NASCAR to be 2,000 percent white?
This is all goofy and weird and foolish. Elements of this story are funny, too. But what Miller is doing is also abhorrent and immensely dangerous.
We can laugh at the blatant stupidity but the larger message Miller and his group are pushing is a frightening one. That message is that white people are under attack and need protection.
This, of course, isn't true. But people like Miller say it is and unfortunately Miller, extremist politicians and right-wing media push the same garbage to tens of millions of Americans. They've been doing this for years.
Former Fox host Tucker Carlson acted as a conduit for one of the ugliest conspiracy theories in existence: the "great replacement" theory. The idea behind it is that white Americans are being replaced by people of color for political gain. The reason right-wing extremists attack diversity, equity and inclusion programs is because they see them as another way white people are being oppressed. Which is laughable.
Read moreWhy is F1 second to none when it comes to inclusivity? Allow 'Mr. Diversity' to explain.
Over the past year Miller's group has accused over a dozen companies, including some of the biggest like McDonald's and Starbucks, of using their DEI initiatives to discriminate against white people. Another organization Miller has targeted is Major League Baseball. Bloomberg reports that the EEOC has yet to publicly respond to the group’s inquiries.
With NASCAR, as he's doing with other entities, he's attacking its various diversity programs, as Bloomberg notes, including “diversity driver development program,” “diversity pit crew development program,” as well as the “NASCAR diversity internship program." He claims it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race and sex.
Miller's group accelerated its efforts after the Supreme Court essentially gutted race-conscious admissions decisions at colleges across the nation. He wants to spread this ugliness beyond that realm.
Please understand what Miller's group is doing here. He's attacking NASCAR for wanting to diversify itself. A company trying to look more like America is a wonderful mission. Instead, someone full of rot and bile wants to stall that kind of progress. Not sure what's scarier. The fact that Miller is doing this or that millions of people applaud him as he does.
Miller's group has also gone after Kellogg. That's right. Kellogg. Which makes cereal. Apparently, Coco Pops aren't white enough.
"Kellogg’s is yet another big corporation that will break the law and hurt its shareholders’ interests to serve the twisted woke ideology of its officers and directors; like Disney, Budweiser, and Target, Kellogg’s management has shown nothing but contempt and disdain for American families and American workers. America First Legal will keep fighting for big corporate accountability," the group said.
Kellogg's said in a statement to NBC.com: "At Kellogg, our aspiration is to better reflect the diversity of our consumers and to strengthen our inclusive culture. We are committed to compliance with all applicable employment laws, and we have policies in place that prohibit workplace discrimination."
In its letter to baseball, AFL actually had the nerve to bring up Jackie Robinson. The group claimed that baseball has “reversed the progress that it has made since 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier” by utilizing “discriminatory” diversity programs.
Yes, this is all stupid and a joke.
But it's also dangerous.
veryGood! (87751)
Related
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River
- Israeli troops launch brief ground raid into Gaza ahead of expected wider incursion
- Clarence Thomas loan for luxury RV was forgiven, Senate Democrats say
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- The Beigie Awards: Why banks are going on a loan diet
- Most of Justice Thomas’ $267,000 loan for an RV seems to have been forgiven, Senate Democrats say
- Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Dorit Kemsley Breaks Silence on PK Divorce Rumors
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- The problem with canceling Jon Stewart: Apple bowed to Chinese government censorship
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Beyoncé's Rare Video Talking to Fans Will Give You Energy
- European Union leaders seek aid access to Gaza and weigh the plight of EU citizens there
- South Korean scholar acquitted of defaming sexual slavery victims during Japan colonial rule
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Five NFL teams that should be sellers at trade deadline: What will Commanders, Broncos do?
- Mom convicted of killing kids in Idaho will be sent to Arizona to face murder conspiracy charges
- McDonald's ditching McFlurry spoon for more sustainable option
Recommendation
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Surprised bear attacks security guard inside kitchen of luxury resort in Aspen
Acapulco residents are left in flooded and windblown chaos with hurricane’s toll still unknown
The National Museum of Women in the Arts relaunches
Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
'Priscilla' review: Elvis Presley's ex-wife gets a stylish yet superficial movie treatment
The Masked Singer's Jenny McCarthy Is Totally Unrecognizable in Dumbledore Transformation
'The Gilded Age' has bustles, butlers, and Baranski