Mark Curry claims he was racially profiled at a hotel in Colorado — and the video evidence he has certainly raises some questions about why he was approached at all.
The actor/comedian posted a video this weekend that shows him hanging out in the lobby of an establishment called The Mining Exchange (a Wyndham hotel) in downtown Colorado Springs — where he was in town for a gig a comedy club nearby.
Instagram / @therealmarkcurry
The clip starts with Mark sitting down and enjoying some coffee, but almost instantly … we see there are two employees standing nearby and looking over him. MC says they accosted him out of nowhere and asked if he was a guest staying there (he was, obviously).
Mark starts to question why he, of all people, is being asked this … and jumps to the conclusion that it’s because he’s Black. He accuses the employees of harassing him, and wonders out loud why other guests in the lobby aren’t being asked the same thing.
The employees don’t really have an answer for him, and they just awkwardly stand there while Mark continues to record. Eventually, he uses the bathroom in a tense environment and is asked for his ID by a front desk attendant. Later, he enters his room and vents.
Mark says you can’t be Black in America without an interrogation at some point, and he’s sick of it. He posted the hotel’s phone number and encouraged folks to blow them up.
As for the hotel, they have since apologized — saying they reached out to Mark to comp him for his stay and offer him another free visit in the future. They also say they’re going to be retraining their staff after this to make sure it remains a place that’s welcoming for all.
