What’s the difference between me and you?

I’ve seen the backlash over Grant Cardone’s comments in a recent interview. Grant said, “We go after that audience, and we’re talking to them in ‘street’ terms,” not big nomenclature vocabulary. We just keep everything very tight and simple.”

Now, there is a large group of people upset at Grant for his comments and calling for boycotts and to stop supporting him. I believe this is an opportunity for education. Grant is a product of the environment he is in, and unfortunately, he is only applying what is taught at a very early age to most of us. There is an inferiority complex that the black community holds globally, and it almost always shows its face in business.

When I was in college, I ran track. I met a friend’s mom in my early 20s, and when she found out I was a sprinter, she said, “Of course, you’re fast; you are black.”

Now, this was her way of paying me a compliment, but it was one I had heard many times before and knew the root of it. I asked her, “If I’m fast because I’m black, what is your son, who happens to be white?” She was puzzled and said, “He isn’t anything; he’s just white.” So I asked, “So am I better than your son because I’m black?” And she said no, “Black people are just faster than white people.” So I asked again, “So if black people are faster than white people, what are white people better than black people at?”

She finally understood what I was getting at and refused to answer the question. But it was clear: the expectation is that the black kid is faster, but the white kid is smarter. This is something I’ve seen across the USA, in Europe, and worst of all in Africa. This idea that there is a difference in us because of our skin color.

Later in life, I became a business owner and found success early on. I would hear the opposite compliment this time around. I would hear how “surprising” it was that I was the owner of the company, or how I should be proud of what I’ve accomplished given “my situation.” These phrases came from decision-makers at banks, law firms, and funding institutions who didn’t realize that their ignorance was a part of the problem.

This shows up in professional sports. There is a reason it’s more common to find a black athlete on the field or court playing than it is to find them as a coach, executive, or team owner. The idea that we can entertain better than we can run a record label is equally present in the music business, and don’t even get me started on Hollywood.

All that said, this is a great opportunity to have Grant sit down and understand that you don’t have to speak simply to get through to black people; you should speak simply when doing business with anyone. You don’t have to dumb down your approach or wear jewelry and backwards hats to get a message across. You just have to be genuine. More importantly, if you are boasting about the Black community pouring into you, maybe it’s time you find a better way to pour into that very same community. If I’m Grant Cardone, I’m working overtime to help create a new and better version of me from the black community so that the person who brags about billion-dollar real estate deals looks more like the people they are speaking to. Because sometimes, just seeing someone that looks like you be successful in a field is all it takes to make you believe that it’s possible.

• YUDU