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Wendell Scott, NASCAR’s First Black Driver NFT

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NFT Collection Honoring the Man Who Broke the NASCAR Color Barrier

A series of historic NFTs created by Wendell Scott Ventures will be introduced and sold to commemorate the iconic and groundbreaking life and legacy of Wendell Scott. On December 1, 1963, Wendell Scott broke NASCAR’s color barrier by becoming the first African American NASCAR driver to win a Grand National race, NASCAR’s highest level. Until Bubba Wallace’s win on October 4, 2021 there had never been another black driver to win a NASCAR race. To this day, Wendell Scott is the only black NASCAR team owner. Despite Wendell Scott’s triumphant victory, he was never awarded a trophy for this win. It wasn’t until August 28, 2021, nearly 60 years after his Jacksonville win that his trophy was posthumously awarded to his family.

Coming off of a successful in-person NFT auction hosted by Authentik Studios at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, in which the first-ever NFTs of an African American NASCAR driver were sold, the collaboration with Worldwide XR, CMG Worldwide and VueXR continues with a broader release on March 6th with the premiere NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway.  

100 years after his birth and 58 years after his NASCAR victory, Wendell Scott continues to break barriers as his legacy is now irrevocably entwined with technology that is shaping the future of how users engage with the world around them. NFTs are a fitting mode to share the story of Wendell Scott as NFTs, like Wendell Scott, disrupted society while simultaneously paving the path for change in a broken system. Akin to NFTs impact on technology, cryptocurrency, and the future of Web 3.0, Scott’s impact shook NASCAR’s status quo and made the sport more inclusive and accessible. Owners of these NFTs have a chance to be a part of history in the making. 

A monumental series of firsts, these historic NFTs were created in partnership by leading digital agency Worldwide XR (WXR), Extended Reality content developers Vue XR, and Wendell Scott Ventures (the joint venture between David Steward II’s Lion Forge Films (Academy Award®-winning Hair Love), parent company Polarity, a leading black-owned entertainment holding company and Scott 34 Racing) and are the first ever NFTs to be released of an African American NASCAR driver. This will be Nifty’s first time releasing a 3D Augmented Reality (AR) digital car on their platform. The first of it’s kind and an exact 1:1 replica of Wendell Scott’s first-ever NASCAR winning 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air. Much like the blockchain allows users to operate on a decentralized system, the Extended Reality (XR) version of Scott’s car breaks it away from its physical confines of its display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and brings it to the masses. This AR asset can also be utilized in Metaverse applications.

Depending on which NFT is purchased, owners will also receive Authentik Studios’ SILO™ Digital Frame that brings your NFTs to life by allowing users to display your collections on a 43″ HD high-fidelity audio display from the comfort of their home. Users can access their entire NFT gallery via the SILO™ App & enjoy their NFTs in unparalleled 4K resolution.

About Wendell Scott
Born in rural Virginia in 1921 during the Jim Crow Era, a time when racial segregation was enforced by law, Wendell Scott’s life and career was filled with adversity. After serving as a mechanic in a segregated division in WWII , he was denied access to NASCAR due to the color of his skin. From his first job as a taxi driver, Scott sharpened his driving skills bootlegging moonshine during the Prohibition era.

Scott used trials and tribulations to propel him forward. Scott became the first African American team owner and spent nine years in the “Dixie Circuit”, a smaller regional competitor to NASCAR, until he was finally able to persuade NASCAR to grant him a license to race in 1953 – officially breaking the sport’s color barrier.

Scott won the Jacksonville 200 race in 1963, only to see the win given to a white driver on a “clerical error” (later reversed). After competing in 496 NASCAR races, with 147 Top 10 finishes, a horrific near-death crash in 1973 ended his career. Scott died of cancer in 1990 and was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, becoming the first African American in NASCAR history to do so.

Wendell Scott’s career was repeatedly challenged by racial prejudice and threats on his life. However, his determined struggle as an underdog would prove to win the hearts of thousands of fans and fellow racers. Scott was, and still is, a pop culture icon who was the subject of the film “Greased Lightning” starring Richard Pryor and was the inspiration for the character of River Scott in Disney’s animated film “Cars 3.”

The Wendell Scott Foundation is run by CEO Warrick Scott and provides educational programs designed for students aged 8 through 18 using STEM-related resources and programs, as well as learning and mentoring opportunities to communities across the country. For more information about the Foundation go to www.wendellscott.org.

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Black Life Texas

I’m Not Back, I’m Better!

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Two Black female athletes recently brought their magic to premier competitions – silencing haters who doubted them. 

Sha’Carri Richardson, 23, now has her sights set on the Olympics in Paris in 2024 after snagging two gold medals at the World Championships in Hungary. She won gold in the women’s 100m final to take the race in 10.65 seconds for her first international title. Her U.S. team easily took another gold in the 4x100m relay final, beating the top Jamaican sprinters. Richardson finished her medal collection, taking bronze in the 200m final. 

To take part in Paris 2024, athletes must be selected by their National Olympic Committee (NOC). NOCs have the final say about whether these athletes will be chosen for their respective NOC teams for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Richardson, from Dallas, tested positive for cannabis in 2021 in the U.S. Olympic trials –  a substance banned under World Anti-Doping Agency rules. Her one-month suspension cost her a spot on the American team for the Tokyo Olympics. The following season proved difficult as she failed to qualify for the U.S. World Championships team.

Richardson has coined the quote, “I’m not back, I’m better.”

Back in America, during the World Championships, gymnast Simone Biles clinched her eighth win in the U.S. Championships in Northern California – something no male or female gymnast has done until now. 

Biles, a seven-time Olympic medallist, competed in just her second competition since withdrawing from the women’s team final and four subsequent individual finals to focus on her mental health at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. 

It’s been 10 years since Biles, now 26, first soared to the top of the gymnastics world, claiming her first U.S. title at the 2013 nationals. Not bad for the newlywed who married Jonathan Owens, a safety for the Green Bay Packers, earlier this year.

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Black Life Texas

Spurs Fans Have “Wembamania”

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San Antonio Spurs fans celebrated hope on May 16 as news broke for the third time in franchise history that it won the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. People were honking their car horns downtown, packing bars, and the Spurs sales office was fully staffed, making thousands of dollars from ticket sales.

It’s no secret that basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama, also known as “Wemby” will be headed to San Antonio when the Spurs are predicted to pick him on June 22 in the draft. Spurs fans once had Manu Mania, and now “Wembamania” is surfacing on t-shirts. 

The Spurs celebration is a sign of relief for many fans who witnessed their beloved team lose 60 games during the regular season, which tied for the second-worst record in the league with the Houston Rockets. The Spurs have had two other No. 1 draft picks in franchise history – David Robinson and Tim Duncan. The news of the No. 1 pick this year couldn’t be sweeter since this year also marks the Spurs’ 50th anniversary. 

When Wembanyama was sporting a Tony Parker jersey at a young age, who would have known he would be heading to the Alamo City years later? Now at the age of 19, who is he? He is a 7’2 French pro baller who has played for French teams owned by former Spurs players Tony Parker and Boris Diaw. Parker is the most notable French NBA player who was drafted in 2001.

Wembanyama is said to have an eight-foot wingspan, meaning he likely won’t have to jump to block shots. And he is dearly loved in his home country since he’s already played for France’s junior and national basketball teams. 
Wembanyama said in an NBA interview he’s excited to go to “Texas and help the Spurs compete for championships.”

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Black Life Texas

XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas Begin Season

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The San Antonio Brahmas opened their 2023 campaign at the Alamodome on Feb. 19 against the St. Louis Battlehawks. About 24,000 fans cheered on the two teams. The game, which was broadcast on ABC, featured guest appearances by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and XFL co-owner Dwayne Johnson.

Even though the Brahams (15) fell to the Battlehawks (18), XFL Chairwoman Dany Garcia announced before the game that the XFL Championship Game would be played in San Antonio at the end of the season. The XFL will play a 10-week regular season, consisting of each team playing 10 games, five at home and five on the road. The teams will play their division rivals twice and teams from the other division once. The season will conclude with the XFL Championship game on Saturday, May 13, at 3 pm on ABC.

Dwayne “The Rock,” Johnson told San Antonio fans he began his wrestling career at the Alamodome. Johnson has since starred in more than 50 films. 

Brahmas head coach, Hines Ward, is a bit of a celebrity himself. He competed in and won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2011. He also starred as a football player in the 2012 Batman blockbuster, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Ward played 14 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning two Super Bowls — including Super Bowl XL MVP — and earning a spot in the team’s Hall of Honor. He participated in the 2013 Ironman World Championships. Ward started his coaching career as an intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He followed that as an assistant coach with the New York Jets and then Florida Atlantic University and spent time as the Alliance of American Football’s director of player development.

The Brahmas play their next game on Feb. 26 in Orlando against the Orlando Guardians and play their last game on April 22 back in the Alamodome against the DC Defenders.

The eight teams of the XFL are split into two divisions – the North Division is home to the D.C. Defenders, Seattle Sea Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks, and Vegas Vipers. At the same time, the Arlington Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Orlando Guardians, and San Antonio Brahmas will do battle in the South Division.

The league will build on what was started in 2020 by carrying over several rules and includes innovative changes in clock management, play reviews, and late-game possession designed to improve gameplay and enhance the fan-viewing experience. 

San Antonio Brahmas Quarterback Jack Coan said his team and coach have been developing chemistry that will hopefully translate onto the field.

“You come into this new league and don’t really know what to expect. You really don’t know any of the guys on the team, what the offensive is going to be, what the scheme is going to be,” he said on the XFL website. “Just trying to learn as much as you can each and every day…I think a really important part of that is just really good to know everybody. I think Coach Ward’s has done a great job of building a family atmosphere here. I think we have a really close-knit team. I feel like the chemistry has grown each and every day throughout camp. I’m really happy with where we’re at right now. We’re going to just continue to get better each and every day.”

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