I’m upset with Mark Cuban, and probably not for the reason you think.
I get that we all have prejudices and even that his comments have been quoted out of context. He said, in a nutshell, if he saw a black kid wearing a hoodie walking down the street he would cross to the other side, and if he saw a white guy with tattoos and a shaved head, he would cross back to the side of the kid wearing a hoodie. Nice. So, we’re bad, just not as bad as skinheads. Thanks. The problem with entitled-race people (no matter how they became that way) is that they think they’re doing us a favor when they say tell us which ones of us are okay and which ones of us aren’t.
Mark Cuban is doing more harm than good by making his prejudices public, he gives other people license to express theirs too and use it as an excuse to “stand their ground.”
No one should be threatened by a black teen because he’s wearing a hoodie, an afro, sagging pants or a du-rag.
There are millions of innocent black boys growing up in the United States who wear these “threatening” items, including my own grandson (below), who shouldn’t have to face judgment by people like Cuban and Sterling who are judging folks based on their own narrow-minded views.
I keep hearing people say, well at least Mark Cuban has started the discussion of race. Why is that good? When has the discussion of race ever solved anything? Action is what solves problems of race and more specifically the action of following the money.
And that brings me to the real reason I’m upset with Mark Cuban. Why is he making this grand statement about race now, when it’s so clear that the Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling, is a blatant racist? He’s clearly trying to justify Donald Sterling’s remarks by saying everyone is prejudiced. Everyone may be. But everyone isn’t in the position of people like NBA owners who clearly benefit monetarily from the people they’re prejudiced of. If Mark Cuban and Donald Sterling have negative feelings about black people based on our appearances or where we live, or what we drive, they should have the good sense to keep it to themselves. And yeah, I know Donald Sterling said what he said in private but he was talking to his young, African- American girlfriend and if he can’t figure out that’s not cool, then what does that say about his competence?
Would I want everything I say in private broadcast for the world to hear? No I would not. But if I do say something that alienates, insults or shows insensitivity to my core audience and advertisers and I get caught, just like the player who commits a foul on the court, I will have to raise my hand and take the penalty.
I can’t wait to see which NBA coaches stand by Donald Sterling and which ones don’t. The ones that vote against him keeping the Clippers may be racists too, but they’re smart enough to keep it under wraps, because they’re businessmen and women and they know they would be taking a financial risk if they did otherwise. Follow the money.
As an employer, if I tell Sybil I love her but I feel uncomfortable around her family and friends, she might not quit her job, but she wouldn’t feel good working for me and she might not show loyalty to my company when I need it most. That’s not what I want for my team and that’s not they want in a leader.
By voicing their opinion about their fear and in Sterling’s case disdain of people who look like the majority of their employees, they can’t expect them to be loyal either
Nor should they expect loyalty from smart networks, advertisers, employees, players or fans.
Follow the money. Make an example of Donald Sterling, NBA. You may not be able to take his team but you can make him and people like Mark Cuban learn when to keep their mouths shut. Just because we have freedom of speech doesn’t mean we don’t have to pay the consequences when we abuse that right.
You’re Wrong, Mark Cuban was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
