by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 12, 2022

Comedian Mark Curry Calls Out Colorado Hotel After Being ‘Racially Profiled’

Comedian Mark Curry was hanging out in the lobby of a Colorado hotel and recorded an experience he deemed as racist.

While in town for a comedy tour, the Hanging With Mr. Cooper star outlined an experience with an employee at the Mining Exchange, a Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa, located in Colorado Springs, on Instagram Friday, Colorado Springs Indy reports.

Curry said the employee questioned him at length about staying at the hotel, asking if he was a guest and requesting to see his room key. He said there were “300” or so white guests hanging out in the lobby.

Curry hit back in the 26-minute video laying claim that he was only being questioned because he was a Black man.

“If you’re Black and you’re in Colorado Springs, you can’t be in the lobby,” Curry said. “Wow! This is crazy, isn’t it?”

The dust-up intensified when another employee joined in and stood guard as the employee continued to question Curry.

Cooper entered the hotel with the person who hired him for the performance, Eric Philips, who is the CEO of 3E’s Comedy Club. Philips stated that this isn’t the first time he placed a comedian at the hotel.

“I’ve never had a bit of trouble,” Philips said. “Black, Brown, Indian, Asian — no trouble at all.”

Philips stated that the woman at the front desk had already checked Curry in. Philips said that the comedian approached the front desk to inquire about The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway.

“The girl there, she said she wasn’t secure answering the question and another woman took that to mean she wasn’t secure with the Black man standing at the counter.”

Although he was already checked in, she asked him for his identification again.

“I was there when he checked in,” Phillips stated. “She just checked him in earlier. Why would she ask for his ID again?”

In the video that Curry posted, he is seen being questioned by two men. At one point as he got up, both men follow him. Curry keeps the camera rolling as it is obvious the two men will continue to follow him as he walks through the hotel lobby. The comic continues to film as he goes into the elevator to go to his room.

 

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A post shared by MARK CURRY (@therealmarkcurry)

Curry retreated to his hotel room and recorded another video, this time pledging to leave the facility for good and check into another hotel.

“Black man and a Hotel Lobby it’s impossible that he has a room here. No, I have a suite! 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.719-323-2000 call them please Jhon Crab head of security and head of maintenance at the same time”

The hotel has since issued a statement to media outlets about the incident:

“We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all guests and employees. We deeply regret this incident and have reached out to Mr. Curry to offer not only our sincere apologies but a full refund of his stay and an invitation to return, at no cost, anytime 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 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.”

Curry didn’t grant the paper an interview, instead opting to state that he has to speak to an attorney first to make his next move.

But his celebrity friends are already throwing their support behind him.

In fact, Holly Robinson Peete, who co-starred opposite Curry in the ’90s sitcom Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, took to Twitter to call the ordeal “unacceptable.”


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