NASCAR Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NASCAR Diversity - Essay Example For more than a decade now, the company still lacks the proper policies and strategies that can adequately enhance diversity. According to Kusz (81) NASCAL has been using a â€Å"Southern Strategy† in its undertakings. According to Canas and Sondak (134) â€Å"NASCAL was born in a time when racial segregation and discrimination was being experienced in every part of the American culture.† This means that the problem of racial discrimination in NASCAL was likely to be experienced in the organization from day one. The organization was initially founded by the southerners in a very racial diverse region. However, this did not help solve the diversity problem since in a seventy year history of NASCAL; only one African American driver ever gained victory in a racing event. Wendell Scott was that driver. Even though Scott had won several other races he was declared to have won just once in his entire career. This is because some of the track owners â€Å"did not want a black man kissing the track queen in victory Lane† (Canas and Sondak 134). Diversity problem in NASCAL therefore is a problem right from the founding of the company. The management of the company, sponsors as well as the aud ience formed the basis of discrimination of the African American drivers as well as the women drivers. Scott as the first African American driver â€Å"was booed by fans when his car broke down in his first race for NASCAL† (Canas and Sondak 134). It is from such incidences that the sponsors would not want anything to do with the African American drivers since they are despised by the fans. The company would therefore be forced not to involve the African American drivers in major leagues. Today, there are still very few African American drivers in NASCAL with â€Å"only five blacks to have started a handful of races since 1986† (Canas and Sondak 134). This has been attributed by different scholars of the world to the insufficient funding following the fact that the NASCAL team