After being exposed by The Daily Wire for intentionally excluding white applicants from a ‘Diversity Internship,’ NASCAR has backtracked and dropped the racist criteria for the gig.
Source: Philip Hall YouTube
NASCAR had initially mandated that applicants for the internship belong to certain non-white “minority classifications.”
However, this requirement was withdrawn after legal experts informed The Daily Wire that such a stipulation would constitute “blatantly illegal” discrimination. The initial listing specified racial and ethnic categories, but this criterion has since been removed from the job post.
You can see the original verbiage in the “Program Requirements” below.
Source: NASCAR career page https://careers.nascar.com/nascar-diversity-internship/
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Legal experts, including Prof. David Bernstein from George Mason University, suggested the initiative may violate laws such as Title VII and the 1866 Civil Rights Act. Specifically, having a race-specific 100% quota for such positions could be considered illegal.
The internship is part of NASCAR’s “Drive for Diversity” program, which comprises other initiatives like the “Pit Crew Development Program” and the “Driver Development Program.” These are aimed at training minority and female candidates.
However, applicants must fit within certain ethnic minority groups or be female for eligibility. Despite these specific criteria, NASCAR’s job listings maintain they operate as an equal opportunity employer. Clearly, both can’t be true at the same time.
David Bernstein VIA Public Law & Policy Program @ Berkeley Law YouTube, screenshot
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This isn’t the first time NASCAR has faced scrutiny. In the past, they suspended driver Noah Gragson over a social media post related to George Floyd’s death.
Highlighting a broader industry trend, companies such as Oracle have begun introducing race-based criteria for certain opportunities. NASCAR’s latest diversity move is seen by some as a reflection of these wider corporate shifts, but its legal and ethical implications are under intense debate.
What are your thoughts on NASCAR’s decision to eliminate the requirements? let us know in the comments below and across social media.
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