The race track has issued a statement
Kossuth County Speedway is a 4/10-mile dirt track located in St. Algona, Iowa. On July 15, an incident took place over the loud speaker.
Watch the dirt track announcer video below.
A fill-in announcer for the event went on a rant about the NFL, taking a knee and the proposed Black National Anthem.
The actual name of the song is, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’. It’s a poem written in 1900 that has been performed on many occasions. It’s set against the religious invocation of God and the promise of freedom.
Dirt Track announcer comments on Black National Anthem
“Here’s your social service announcement, the announcer opened.
“If you won’t stand for our flag, if you’re going to take a knee. If you’re going to feel you have rights…”
“You have the right to remain silent, for most of the time. But, I got four words for you, find a different country. If you won’t do it, get the hell out of dodge. Yes.”
“A lot of people sacrificed many things in their lives for us people to do these liberties. And, if you feel that’s the right, well you just don’t have a right.”
“I read about all the stuff going on in the NFL. And, now they’re going to have another National Anthem for those folks, darker skin toned color. I’ll just say blacks.”
“They want a different National Anthem and the NFL is thinking about doing it. So, I say shut the TV’s off and let them play in front of nobody.”
He added, “That’s my announcement. Let’s salute the veterans. We’re going to get racing underway here tonight.”
Related: Richard Childress and Richard Petty on National Anthem (2017)
Kossuth County Speedway
Announcement
On Thursday afternoon the track issued a statement:
“On July 15, 2021 a statement was made over the public address system by a fill-in track announcer at Kossuth County Speedway regarding the National Football League’s discussion of playing the Black National Anthem before football games.”
“Unless you are sitting in the stands (which track management is not), the public address system is not easily heard. The comment was brought to the track management’s attention by a post made later on social media.”
“Kossuth County Speedway and the Kossuth County Fair Board do not condone the comments made by the fill-in announcer. We do not tolerate discrimination at our racing events and welcome race fans of all color, gender, religion and creed to join our racing family.”
“We also want to clarify that these comments were not made by Chad Meyer, the usual announcer as KCS.”
They added, “We acknowledge that though this is an isolated incident, the does not make it okay. Going forward, we will no longer be employing the individual who made those comments as a fill-in announcer at any of out track events.”
“We will not comment further on this incident because there are no further comments to be made.It was not okay, and it will not be happening again. Kossuth County Speedway looks forward to proving to our fans, drivers and crews that we will do better.”
Related: Bubba Wallace comments on kneeling and the Confederate flag at NASCAR races
LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING LYRICS
Lift every voice and sing,
‘Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on ’til victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
‘Til now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.
Related: NASCAR now allows kneeling during the National Anthem
