When Experience Beats Spokesman

This is the Statt Mann Baby. Time to Scatt a little bit.

Hopefully the events of the past two weeks have forced you to think. If not, your head’s in the sand and the wrong end of your anatomy is exposed.

After the IndyCar race Saturday night the Dale Jr. Download program included a very good conversation with Darrell Wallace, one of only two black drivers to win a race in a nationally touring NASCAR series.

At the beginning of the conversation it was all predictable rhetoric. Darrell (I just can’t call him Bubba) was asked his opinion of the racial unrest in America. In other words, your black Darrell, tell a white industry what you think about racism.

Ultimately, though, the conversation crossed Rhetoric Road and jumped onto Hope Highway.

It even allowed Wallace to talk about personal experiences he’s had with cops who questioned his right to drive a nice car in Tennessee. He talked about a cousin who was murdered years ago by cops who later were acquitted for killing the unarmed teen.

Darrell Wallace isn’t qualified to be a spokesman for race in America. But he is more than qualified to talk about how race has affected his life. That’s what I wanted to hear at least. Hopefully more heads came out of the sand.

Peace.