Bye-Bye Jesse?

[Ward Burton]

In response to pressure from a conservative legal watchdog group and racing fans, NASCAR is cutting off its funding of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. NASCAR has paid a total of $250,000 to an affiliate organization of the black advocacy group in recent years. But a person familiar with NASCAR's internal decisions confirmed that the racing organization has not paid Jackson's group any money in 2003 and doesn't plan to. NASCAR is seeking more subtle ways to back Rainbow/PUSH without appearing as though they directly support the politically volatile Jackson. Said Charles Farrell, a spokesman for Rainbow's sports division: "We have had no contact whatsoever with NASCAR that would indicate that they are changing the status of their support for Rainbow/PUSH." Four months of media attention and fan backlash have prodded NASCAR into cutting ties with Jackson. At a Rainbow/PUSH conference in June, which was attended by NASCAR chief operating officer George Pyne, one of the organization's board members called NASCAR "the last bastion of white supremacy" in sports. (USA Today), see past news on this situation on my NASCAR Past News page.

 

[Happy29]

Well Thank God. NASCAR can achieve more success for minorities without Jackson. Jesse Jackson hasnt been using those 200,000 dollars to help fund teams for african americans, he's been using them to build him an 18th summer vacation house.

I think the cause of minority drivers will go further without Jackson's interferrance.