skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, September 13, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Van Hollen introduces federal 'climate superfund' legislation; Trump campaigns in Western states as Harris focuses on critical Pennsylvania; Stalled Child Tax Credit leaves Ohio families in limbo; Federal funding drives PA's increase in electric school buses.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Marjorie Taylor-Greene condemns remarks by a right-wing activist, immigrants to Ohio spark conspiracy theories and heated campaign controversies, and the Children's Defense Fund pushes for more attention to child poverty.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural voters weigh competing visions about agriculture's future ahead of the Presidential election, counties where economic growth has lagged in rural America are booming post-pandemic, and farmers get financial help to protect their land's natural habitat.

IN kids gain abilities in racing and life

play audio
Play

author Terri Dee, Anchor/Producer

 Contact

Wednesday, May 22, 2024   

The motor sports season is in full swing and back in 1991, two Indianapolis race fans started an organization to teach kids about more than speed.

The nonprofit NXG Youth Motorsports was formed by racing enthusiasts Rodney Reid and Charles Wilson. The two purchased go-carts for kids to race as a way to connect them to the popular sport.

Reid said young people gain decision-making abilities, conscientious driving habits, and knowledge about race cars from behind the wheel and under the hood.

"It wasn't just having kids drive a go-cart," Reid explained. "It was using the go-cart as a tool to teach three things. One, life skills; two, the application of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, applied arts and math) and STEM; and three, exposure to motor sports careers."

Among the graduates of the NXG program, 60% pursue postsecondary education. Reid emphasized there are plans for a multimillion-dollar hands-on hub for science, applied art and tech instruction on Indianapolis' westside. According to the site Businesequityindy.com, in 2019-2020, only 12% of all Black students graduating from college obtained a STEM degree.

Some inroads have been made to increase diversity on and off the track but progress has been slow. No Black driver has qualified at the Indy 500 since 2002. The website Zippia.com showed only 9% of race car mechanics are Black, almost 18% are Hispanic, and 5% are female.

Reid recounted experiences he and Wilson encountered at different tracks when registering cars for competitions.

"We ran into racism. That was at every turn," Reid recalled. "We'd get to a track, and we'd go to register and people would say, 'You can't register here,' because all the janitors and maintenance people are in a different building. They thought we were trying to register for a job."

As president of the Force Indy race team, Reid has seen some improvement with the industry embracing people of color and women. Currently, four Black males occupy rankings in the NASCAR series, although diversity in the industry's fan base remains low. According to Racer.com, 86% of race car competition spectators are white, and 7% are Black.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to the Center for American Progress, "Climate-smart agriculture represents a crucial front in the fight against climate change." (Bits and Splits/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Kristi Eaton for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Deborah Van Fleet for Nebraska News Connection reporting for The Daily Yonder-Public News Se…


Social Issues

play sound

More Maine households struggled to meet their basic needs last year, according to new census data. More than 80,000 Mainers, or roughly 6% of the …

Environment

play sound

New federal legislation would make polluters pay for the costs of climate change mitigation. On Thursday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., introduced …


According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, 18 states currently either ban abortion completely or after six weeks of pregnancy. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Abortion care restrictions in North Dakota are expected to be lifted in the near future, following a court ruling on Thursday. A state judge said …

Social Issues

play sound

Hudson, New York will hold its fourth annual Latinx Festival on Sunday. The festival celebrates a wide range of cultures through food, dancing and …

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 weakened by the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in Shelby v. Holder. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Groups from Virginia and across the country are working with federal lawmakers to improve voting rights. They are building support for voting rights …

Social Issues

play sound

Chronic absenteeism rates in Michigan schools have significantly declined, yet researchers warn the state's rate overall remains alarmingly high…

Social Issues

play sound

During this week's presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris proposed reviving the Child Tax Credit, which was part of the American Rescue …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021