'We're all prejudiced,' Mark Cubin insists

[one...two...tree 2,762]

He's right.

Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, decided Wednesday night at a forum to speak publicly on the issue of race while being interviewed by Inc. magazine.

It put him in the crosshairs, and the crosshairs can be awful.

Cuban was asked about controversial Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and if you listen to his full comments – not the pared down versions good for 140 characters or even a column on the subject – it's clear he was condemning ignorance and bigotry. What he said was unfiltered and free flowing. The casualness with which he spoke suggests a positive comfort level on the topic. This wasn't his first introspection. He wasn't entrenched in his opinion. He wasn't attacking others.

Instead, in the interest of transparency after repeatedly condemning bigotry, Cuban wanted to note that he was hardly perfect, that he too had room to grow.

"I mean, we're all prejudiced in one way or another," Cuban said. "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," he continued. "So in my businesses, I try not to be hypocritical. I know that I'm not perfect. I know that I live in a glass house, and it's not appropriate for me to throw stones."

Cuban could've done better. His analogies were anything but perfect and he later acknowledged as much. There's a big difference between purposely shaving your head and getting (presumably) a lot of tattoos in essence to look a certain way, and wearing a hoodie, which is suitable to stave off rain or cold. It could also just be someone paying homage to Bill Belichick.

Moreover, the use of the image of a black kid in a hooded sweatshirt immediately invokes the tragedy of Trayvon Martin, which is understandably painful to so many. Cuban later acknowledged as much:

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.

May 22, 2014

Again, he could've done better. And he shouldn't just shout down his critics, who may offer a perspective worth hearing.

However, because it's unlikely billionaire Mark Cuban walks too many streets late at night, all by himself where his physical safety could ever be threatened, it's fairly clear this was an analogy. This should create debate, but little more.

These are just words. Picking them apart in search of signs of racism – all while the guy is admirably explaining his own failures on the issue – is counterproductive and pointless.

It's far more important to look at Cuban's actions.

Would he ever hire that black kid in a hoodie? Would he rent or sell real estate to his family? Would he be willing to overcome whatever initial apprehension he might have, recognize that it's foolish and get to know the real person? Would he support progressive initiatives to aid the disadvantaged? Would he recognize the feelings and position of the less powerful person? Does he run his companies and family along these lines?

Cuban's very public life and many comments suggest "yes" on all of those items, actually with a track record probably stronger than almost anyone reading this.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mark-cuban-s-admission-of-his-own-faults-is-the-kind-of-message-that-can-spur-progress-174423696.html

Edited May 23, 2014 by Porterhouse

[Jacque67 7,328]

Good article.

Cuban seems a decent guy.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Jacque67