US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has urged Congress to immediately take steps to remove Confederate statues from the US Capitol, while US President Donald Trump has rejected proposals to rename US military bases named for Confederate leaders from the 1860s Civil War.
'Their statues pay homage to hate, not heritage. They must be removed," Ms Pelosi, the country's top elected Democrat, said in a letter to leaders of a congressional committee in charge of managing the statues on display at the Capitol.
In the past few days, officials have said that the Pentagon, including Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, was open to having a bipartisan conversation about renaming the Army bases named for Confederate leaders.
But Mr Trump's announcement via tweet basically slaps down those Pentagon officials open to discussing the issue as the country grapples with questions about racial inequality and police brutality following the 25 May death of George Floyd.
Ten bases carry the names of Confederate military leaders, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina, one of the largest in the United States, and Fort Hood in Texas. Discussions about renaming the bases have emerged as a way of achieving racial reconciliation.
In a series of tweets, Mr Trump argued the bases have become part of a "Great American Heritage."
"The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars. Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations...," Mr Trump wrote in a tweet.
The issue of the enslavement of African Americans tore the US apart when Southern states broke away to form the Confederate States of America to protect slavery. Northern states defeated the South in the Civil War to restore the Union.
In recent history, controversies over symbols of the Confederacy, such as statues of its leaders and its battle flag, have erupted. Those arguing for their removal say they symbolise racism and oppression, while those opposing such action call them signifiers of Southern heritage and pride.
Paint and protest graffiti covers the Jefferson Davis Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. Source: AP
Bases named for Confederate military leaders are all located in former Confederate states from Virginia to Texas. Many of those states helped elect Mr Trump in 2016, and he is counting on them again for the 3 November election.
In an article published on Tuesday in The Atlantic, retired general and former CIA chief David Petraeus called for renaming the bases, pointing out that the men they are named for "committed treason, however much they may have agonised over it" by fighting for the Confederacy.
At a news briefing on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany noted that the HBO Max streaming service had withdrawn the Civil War movie Gone with the Wind and asked "Where do you draw the line?"
"Should George Washington and Thomas Jefferson be erased from history?," she said of the first and third American presidents, both of whom owned slaves.
She said renaming the bases was "an absolute non-starter for the president."
NASCAR bans Conferedate flag
Despite the South being the traditional fan base for NASCAR, the organisation has banned the Confederate flag from its races and venues, formally severing itself from what for many is a symbol of slavery and racism.
Confederate flags have been a familiar sight at NASCAR races over its 72-year history, dotting the infield atop RVs or being waved by fans in the grandstands, though the stock car series with its roots in moonshine running has in recent years taken cautious steps to sever the connection.
The issue was pushed to the fore this week as Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's lone black driver, called for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was "no place" for them in the sport. At long last, NASCAR obliged.
"The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR said.
"Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."
NASCAR said it would have no additional comment.
The move was announced before Wednesday night's race at Martinsville Speedway where Wallace, an Alabama native, was driving Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 Chevrolet with a (hash)BlackLivesMatter paint scheme.
A confederate flag flies during a NASCAR auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. Source: AP
Wallace was praised for his stance on Twitter from several athletes, including NBA star LeBron James, and for using the scheme in the race.
NASCAR did not address how it would enforce the policy or what might happen for fans who bringing the Confederate flag to the track.
