I love this story because it is messy. It is ugly and beautiful. It has regret and redemption. Kyle is a very good NASCAR driver. In 2017, he began supporting the Urban Youth Racing School. It provides STEM programming to inner city students. In 2020, while participating in a virtual racing event on Twitch, he used the n-word. He was immediately dropped by Chip Ganassi Racing, suspended by NASCAR and lost his sponsors.
Kyle owned his mistake and embraced his ignorance. He met extensively with members of the Black community, and leaned into his relationship with Urban Youth Racing. Today, he is back to racing and running a new foundation. Michelle Martin, cofounder of UYR, remarked “I think Kyle can teach a lot of people about being more tolerant, forgivable and what that looks like.” What makes this story different than others? I believe it is authenticity. What do you think?