Mark Cuban, A Racist?

Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, “started a conversation” alright, when he openly made what is known as a prejudiced comment, in a recently videotaped interview. This comment has sparked much controversy amongst black and whites, causing the topic to surface on blogs, debates, and news stations. 

The statement below was made by Cuban in an INC.com interview: 

"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."

Now, there is much to consider about this statement, even when we take the situation out of a stereotypical light. 

Cuban was commenting about how far the country has come, in regards to its tolerance of different views and lifestyles, that are clearly prevalent and unavoidable in America. However, though he credited America for making some improvement on the matter, he also stressed that, "We are all prejudiced in one way or the other."

This comment made its way to becoming the topic of conversation on a live CNN debate. The debate, starring Stephen A. Smith, caused even more controversy, but more so about him and what he is defending as a black man. 

Most would agree that it was pretty obvious that Smith had no problem with Cuban’s comment, and if anyone is at all familiar with Stephen Smith, this wouldn’t be a surprise.

Smith made sure to put emphasis on the reality and practicality of the world we live in, stating that the comment made by Cuban was in no way racist; it’s just the reality of it. According to Cuban, if this was in fact a stereotypical statement, then some black people have caused this upon themselves, by “hanging their pants”. 

Smith said, “black people create some of these stereotypes themselves”. 

I do agree with him to an extent, but I wouldn’t agree with him totally, when I know and have seen with my own eyes, that black men aren’t the only ones hanging their pants below their buttocks. Given, yes, young black men are more exposed with this form of dress code, but to simply tack a hoodie and hanging trousers only on black men is a little absurd.

It’s said that instead of looking at this in a bias way, Smith is looking at the bigger picture, which is far beyond all of us as individuals. For this reason, he voices that we are getting too emotional about something that was in no way targeted at only us as black people.

My concern with Cuban’s topic was not so much only the comment about a black man having to be the one clothed in a hoodie, but because he thought the equivalence of that black man in a hoodie,was a a bald, white man, clothed in tattoos. 

With that implication is what I had a problem with. 

Furthermore, the referencing of the hoodie was highly inappropriate due to the death of Trayvon Martin’s recent murder, conducted by a white man.

From what I know of the Trayvon Martin case, he was the one attacked and killed by Zimmerman, and Zimmerman was the murderer. How are we not talking about what he was wearing that night? 

The message behind Cuban’s statement is in fact very stereotypical in my eyes, but I can see how Smith took emotions out of the case and looked at it in it’s entirety, and not only as a black man. 

Smith stated that, "Presentation matters. How you look matters. How you carry yourself matters. And for anyone that wants to tell you it doesn't, I'm gonna tell you they're full of it and they know it." Smith proceeded to suggest that the black community has a job, to not play the victim, but instead take responsibility for its actions.

His point here appearing to be that Cuban’s comments derived not from race, but more so appearance.

My question however, is if Cuban was bold enough to make the comment about everyone being prejudice in some way, (that obviously is including him) was that supposed to be some type of a disclaimer to cushion the criticism he knew was following?