Dale Earnhardt Jr Quoted John F. Kennedy to Take a Stand Against Richard Petty’s Views Once

Dale Earnhardt Jr has never been one to shy away from presenting his opinion or from expressing his dissatisfaction with something. Not even if it comes at the cost of making him the proverbial black sheep; not even if it goes against what the President of the United States says.

Sport is an extremely powerful tool. But as the saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The responsibility, though unsaid, is to use sport only as a tool to unite the masses, and not to divide and foment negative sentiments.

A lot of what happened between August 2016 and September 2017 showed us the power of sport, and how differently it can be used by people with differing opinions. August 2016 was when Colin Kaepernick’s decision to not stand during the national anthem was noticed by people; his statement afterward made his views clear.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” said the 49ers quarterback. A lot happened between then and September 2017; this was when then-POTUS Trump made a statement against kneeling during the anthem.

NASCAR bosses responded in unison to that call from Trump. Among those were names like Richard Childress and Richard Petty. “Get you a ride on a Greyhound bus when the national anthem is over. Anybody that works for me should respect the country we live in. So many people gave their lives for it. This is America,” said Childress.

Petty had similar views, “Anybody that don’t stand up for (the anthem) ought to be out of the country. Period. If they don’t appreciate where they’re at … what got them where they’re at? The United States.”

But Dale Jr didn’t. He dared to go against the grain, as he put out a tweet that supported athletes’ and sportspersons’ right to protest peacefully. He used a quote by former POTUS, John F Kennedy, to allude to his views.

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The question of allowing protests against racial suppression or oppression has always polarized fans.

Not the first time Dale Earnhardt Jr has spoken out on the issue

This was not the only time Dale Jr spoke out on the issue. He has been a supporter of racial equality for a long time. Recently, he showed that support to one of his good friends, Bubba Wallace.

Bubba has been one of the most outspoken drivers on the issue of racial inequalities since 2020. He has even managed to convince NASCAR to bring a ban on Confederate flags at races. But the sad part is – he has been alone in that battle.

Dale Jr said, “…he’s making his voice heard and he’s saying a lot of powerful things. I’m so grateful for Bubba because without him we might not have that leadership, we might not have that guidance and the opportunity to understand and the opportunity to listen…”

“Everywhere I’ve seen Bubba in the media talking about what’s going on in our country. He’s also had a lot of conversations with others in our industry that I think really helped Bubba and other drivers.”

“To understand what Bubba is and what his life is really like. I feel so thankful to Bubba for being so strong to be able to carry that load on his own coz he shouldn’t have to. He’s the only black driver in the Cup Series… he carries an incredibly heavy load.”

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It’s clear that Dale Jr supports Bubba, and the larger movement – but more than that, he is on the side that allows drivers to express their opinion.