Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban apologized to Trayvon Martin’s family on Thursday for a comment he made about a “black kid in a hoodie” in remarks about prejudice.
Cuban was interviewed Wednesday at a conference in Nashville, Tenn. and explained that like embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, he too can have bigoted thoughts.
“I know I’m prejudiced and I know I’m bigoted in a lot of different ways. If I see a black kid in a hoodie on my side of the street, I’ll move to the other side of the street,” he said. “If I see a white guy with a shaved head and tattoos, I’ll move back to the other side of the street. None of us have pure thoughts; we all live in glass houses.”
The billionaire entrepreneur tweeted Thursday that he “should have used different examples” and offered his apology to the Martin family for the hoodie comment. Beyond that apology, Cuban tweeted that he stood by his remarks.
Martin was the black Florida teenager who was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012. The hoodie Martin wore the night he was killed later became a symbol for those who demanded Zimmerman be brought to justice.
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
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
It could have been worse. While he was “apologizing” (he only apologized for the “hoodie” references; he stands by the substance of the interview), Cuban could have attacked Magic Johnson for not giving as much money to black people as Cuban does.
ai yi yi… can we please stop with the grievance parade. this daily routine of someone saying something stupid/outrage ensues/apologies all around is so fucking tiresome… but, it’s an awesome distraction from the real issues that people should be focusing their energies on.
Maybe one day we can all live in glass houses
Sounds like Cuban recognizes his own bigotry and is able to work on it. That puts him ahead of most people.
Yet another rich old white guy making young black kids blame their hoodies for the way white people fear them.
DAMN YOU HOODIES!!!