Move over Donald Sterling, you have someone to share the hot seat with. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban delivered some remarks in a videotaped interview with Inc. that rubbed people the wrong way. He tried to explain his belief that everyone has their “prejudices and bigotries” on some level.
“We’re all prejudiced in one way or the other,” Cuban told Inc. “If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it’s late at night, I’m walking to the other side of the street. And if on that side of the street, there’s a guy that has tattoos all over his face — white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere — I’m walking back to the other side of the street. And the list goes on of stereotypes that we all live up to and are fearful of.”
After some Twitter dragging today, Cuban realized how insensitive his words sounded outside of his head and made a public apology to the family of slain teen Trayvon Martin.
P/1: In hindsight I should have used different examples. I didn't consider the Trayvon Martin family, and I apologize to them for that.
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) May 22, 2014
He did, however, stand by his original point of everyone having their own prejudices.
P/2: beyond apologizing to the Martin family, I stand by the words and substance of the interview.
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) May 22, 2014
P/3: I think that helping people improve their lives, helping people engage with people they may fear or may not understand,
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) May 22, 2014
P/4: and helping people realize that while we all may have our prejudices and bigotries
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) May 22, 2014
P/5: we have to learn that it's an issue that we have to control, that it's part of my responsibility as an entrepreneur to try to solve it
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) May 22, 2014
Get the full context by reading and watching the entire Inc. interview here.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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