I had been planning to have a whole series of blog posts for Black History Month. But for various reasons, that does not look likely to happen at this point. But I didn't want February to go by without at least commending to you this film biography of Wendell Scott, the first (dare I say "the only") successful black driver in NASCAR.
What Scott accomplished is absolutely mind-boggling. He started racing in the early 1950s, a decade before the civil rights movement heated up in America. About four decades before NASCAR successfully moved beyond its roots as a regional Southern sport to become a national phenomenon. He knew what he wanted and he didn't let anything stop him. He faced tremendous persecution, marched into the heart of the beast (of white racism), and got what he wanted.
What Scott accomplished is absolutely mind-boggling. He started racing in the early 1950s, a decade before the civil rights movement heated up in America. About four decades before NASCAR successfully moved beyond its roots as a regional Southern sport to become a national phenomenon. He knew what he wanted and he didn't let anything stop him. He faced tremendous persecution, marched into the heart of the beast (of white racism), and got what he wanted.
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