If you're a racing fan, you should be familiar with the name, Wendell Scott.
Scott broke the color barrier in stock car racing in 1952 and for years represented African Americans while breaking records and navigating imposed racial barriers.
Recently, NASCAR announced its first Hall of Fame class, which consisted of 25 nominees. Unfortunately, in a sport that has been criticized immensely for its lack of diversity, Scott did not make the cut.
Many consider Scott to be the Michael Jackson or Jackie Robinson of NASCAR. Just like Jackson and Robinson helped to integrate MTV and baseball, Scott did the same for NASCAR. He was the first black driver ever to win a NASCAR race. ...
The committee deciding the list consisted of 47 members, probably not a diverse team. Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty were just two of the inductees that you may be familiar with.
Some critics believe since this is the first NASCAR Hall of Fame class, there will be many more opportunities ahead for Scott and others to make it in.
Brian Donovan knows the story all too well. In 2008, he wrote a book about Scott's life entitled "Hard Driving: The American Odyssey of NASCAR's First Black Driver."
Donovan told the Bristol Herald Courier that the latest snub is consistent with the way Scott was treated during his 13-year Cup career.
"Wendell Scott's pioneering accomplishments certainly deserve recognition in NASCAR's Hall of Fame. But it's not surprising he's not on the list," Donovan said. "NASCAR doesn't seem ready to admit that powerful officials in the sport repeatedly did him wrong."
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