Mark Curry, 'Hangin' with Mr. Cooper' Star, Says Hotel Employees Racially Profiled Him
Comedian Mark Curry claims he was racially profiled by employees at a hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado last week. The Hangin' with Mr. Cooper star shared a lengthy Instagram video from The Mining Exchange, a Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa, on Dec. 9, explaining that an employee asked him if he was a guest. The hotel employees involved have since been suspended.
In the video, Curry, 61, said he was sitting in the hotel lobby while drinking coffee when an employee asked him if he was a guest at the request of security. Curry said he refused to answer, but the man would not leave him alone. The comedian included the nine-minute alleged confrontation between Curry and the employee. Eventually, Curry went to the check-in desk to file a complaint. The attendant also asked Curry if he was a hotel guest. "Didn't you check me in?" Curry replied.
"Black man and a Hotel Lobby. It's impossible that he has a room here. No, I have a suite," Currey captioned the video. "He walks up to me with no badge on. I don't know who this man is. And asked to see my hotel key Wyndham racism."
Curry also continued recording in his hotel room. "These motherf—ers ... gonna ask me if I'm in the motherf-ing room. ... Isn't that some bulls—? Bulls— hotel. Colorado Springs. We're in Colorado Springs and they talking s—. Ain't this a b—? Damn. Colorado Springs and they talking s—. Man, a Black man can't go nowhere. A Black man can't go nowhere in America. Ain't that some bulls—?" The actor added that there were about 300 other people in the lobby eating and drinking, but he was the only one asked if he belonged in the hotel.
The Mining Exchange later sent a statement to PEOPLE, stating that the hotel is "committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all guests and employees." They "deeply regret" the incident and apologized to Curry, offering him a full refund. The comedian was also offered a free stay at the hotel in the future.
"As a respected community partner, we are also using this opportunity to revisit training with our staff, helping to ensure all interactions are reflective of our company values," the hotel said. "The Mining Exchange plays a special role in the Colorado Springs community, and we will continue working each and every day to ensure that our hotel remains a space that is open and welcoming to all." A hotel rep also told the Colorado Springs Indy that the employees involved in the incident were suspended, "pending further investigation."
Curry responded to one of the comments left on his Instagram video, noting that this has happened to him in the past. "It's not my ego, it's just that when you face racism, you gotta do something back about it," he wrote. "They think they can walk up to you and say anything they want. 'Do you belong here?' F— you, motherf—er. No, I ain't tellin' you shit. It's not my ego. It's that when this happens, dial 719-323-2000, and let 'em know we've got power too. We've got power. They would not do it to a white person."