"I'm not racist, some of my best pictures are of black kids!"

As stupid as firing someone for having locs is to begin with, imagine firing them from a job where the customer can't even see them.

"The Banana Republic at the Westchester Mall in White Plains" is front runner for whitest sentence I've heard this week.

I come back to this because of my niece, I'm not black, but she is. She's started kindergarten this year, she's creative, and sweet, and so incredibly smart. Two nights before her first day of school, she was playing with my hair and called it pretty. When I told her hers was pretty too, she ducked her little face down and shook her head and said no it's not. She told me she didn't like her hair because it was scary. And I don't think my heart could ever ache as much as it did when it was clear this beautiful little girl had been given the impression her natural hair was scary.

The irony of saying a kids hair is unkept in a school called "raggedy anne" when that doll's hair was literally a dreadlock styled hair do!

A little girl I used to babysit was biracial and had a big afro. It was clean and well maintained. Her white teacher sent home a note saying she either needed to shave it off or get it braided. When her parents refused the teacher called CPS on them. She said that it was obvious they weren't caring for her properly. Her parents were two of the kindest people I ever met and this killed them inside. They won against the teacher and to this day that girl (now 14) has a glorious afro.

I'm currently in Cosmetology school and I'm happy to say that my school teaches how to do textured and ethnic hair. I, as a white woman with zero previous exposure to black hair, have learned a lot and have a new understanding of cultural hair styles. I still have a lot to learn but I want to be able to make everyone who sits in my chair feel good about themselves and leave feeling beautiful, no matter their race.

This happens in African countries too. I am Ghanaian and I am criticised by hair stylists for keeping my hair and my daughters' hair natural! I am always "this is the hair y'all were born with"! It is crazy.

Can we just appreciate that he puts a British accent on his British accent?

>dozens of teeny tiny tight braids >"unkempt" that hair takes more work and care in a month than yours does all year, *Brenda*

Time for a score card: 20 points for knowing anything about ECO gel. 20 points for knowing about silk press. 20 points for knowing the proper way to wear a lace front. And, 40 points for bringing up the issue. We can not create real change with out real allies, I appreciate your acknowledgement of the struggle and your eloquent way of addressing it.

Of all the smells that toddlers smell, I am surprised that they had an issue with coconut oil, which is like the best smelling oil there is.

"Not wearing a mask is my rig-- Hold on let me cut this kid's dreadlocks off real quick."

Shout out to John's black writers because I know they worked overtime this week teaching him concepts like laying edges. You could tell how proud of himself he was for nailing those jokes lol

I really appreciate how the writers made sure they included language that didn't assume that all the people watching don't have personal experience with this

I never knew I needed to hear John Oliver describing how to apply a lace front 😂

Who works at a pre-school and of all the possible smells involved in the job, chooses to complain about Coconut oil?

“A level of tone-deafness on par with naming your store ‘Banana Republic’”. Lmao

I have a foster child who’s African American and my fiancé and I have done extensive research and tried to find a salon or barber shop that could give us more advice on how to keep her hair nice. We eventually had to go to another city an hour from where we live to get any help. It’s some bull shit.

I honestly never really thought about it in such a fashion. LWT has profoundly changed my view on life in numerous issues as a white dude. Really good stuff as always mr oliver

Shout out to the black woman that wrote that for John Oliver, describing with complete accuracy me at 8 years old on picture day holding my ears down while my mom used that dang hot comb 😂 he took me all the way back.

Tell me you have black, female writers on staff without TELLING me you have black, female writers on staff. We see you Mr. Oliver

When that ref cut off that students dreads, my heart broke. I remember it so vividly, that wasn’t about safety, or discomfort, that was about humiliation and dehumanizing A CHILD who in the actual fuck?!?!

I worked at a beauty salon for exactly one day because I got into a discussion with the Asian manager who called 4C hair "ethnic", "coarse", and "rough". My wife is an Afro-Caribbean woman who very much loves her natural hair.

Anything that starts with “you people” and ends with “I take pictures of children” should be grounds for removal from public office

Shout out to the black woman who helped him with that “6am holding your ears” part lol this is why I love this man. I clapped three times on this

This. I really needed this. I'm a black woman struggling to re-identify with my hair as an adult after being forced to shave it my my whole childhood then straighten it in highschool. Thank you.

I remember being in elementary school, a teacher told me black hair didn't exist. I remember going home and asking my parents what color my hair was.

I can't stop laughing at the fact that the school is called Raggedy Anne Learning Center. With a name like that, should you be telling any child how to present? 😂

My old boss straight up told me I needed to straighten my hair to make it "pretty and sleek like the other girls". I told her to talk to my lawyer about it. She never brought it up again.

I have European curly hair and I get the “look” when I dare walk in to work with my air dried curls. It is perceived as “unpolished”. Therefore, I can ONLY IMAGINE what black women endure when they honor their natural beauty. Why should I get a half hour less sleep than others just to “fit in”? This is the empowering lesson I have taken from bold, black women rejecting conventional expectations. I want to thank them - I get to clock in more sleep now. Unfortunately, my sister has not yet learned to appreciate this valuable lesson.

I have now used 3 of your videos to explain and answer questions about my experience as a black woman. Twice I sent them to a coworker after repeatedly saying "ghetto" for things broken in the lab! Now I have this ammo.. Thank you!!

I burst out laughing every single time John goes on an incredibly specific tangent on black women’s hair (that was definitely written by a black female staffer).

wow, the "im not racist, i have a black friend" has morphed into "im not racist, i take photos of black children"

When I was barbering, I deliberately went and trained at an African-American owned barber school and it was at my first JOB that I really got experience with straight hair. That was by CHOICE. Out of practice now, but I knew very well how to take care of EVERYONE. How ANYONE would train for a job without learning it all is beyond me.

This hits close to home. I'm Brazilian. It's really hard to determine a lot of people's heritage around here, because there's an enormous rate of miscigenation in our population. I, myself, am very undefineable: I'm clearly of black heritage, although people here dispute it when I claim it, because my skin is of a lighter tone. As if I'm talking myself down by stating I'm black. The reason I don't state I'm black very often (I usually check the box for "brown") is because I don't feel I experimented real racism as black people do. Because, you know, my SKIN IS LIGHTER. Is fucking ridiculous, but as people perceive me as white - it's even in my birth certificate - if I do experiment racism, it's subtle and go over my head. I only started to pay attention to these questions later in life, as internet surfaced these discussions. And as affirmative action tries to reparate the historic damage our society inflicted on black people, I don't feel validated in taking advantage of any of those. I don't feel like I paid my proper dues to the racial struggle. The country I went that a lot of natives confused me as their own was Morocco. But they think themselves as white. They call the subsaharian Africa "black Africa". It's stupid as hell. My hair? Curly. Really curly. Like you see in renditions of cherubins, but black. It's not the curliest possible, though. Real black people - the ones who go undisputed and get persecuted by the police - might have real small curls, way smaller than mine. And the term brazilians usually use for this kind of hair translate, literally, as "bad hair". When I was young my mother tried to disguise it by putting a lot of hair gel, combing it really close to my scalp and mantaing it short. I still like it short - less upkeep - but when it grows, I let it grow freely. I like how it looks. And my mother herself does that to her hair, the hot irons, the chemicals and whatnot. It took me more than twenty years to convince her to stop destroying her hair with these straightening techniques - they're very destructive - and just accept what she was: black! Let your hair be as your hair is. Just treat it well, take care of it and it will be beautiful. That's what makes good or bad hair: cleanliness, hidration, proper care. Straightened hair not only looks awful, it enormously restrains the lives of those who live with it. That's what racism does. It strips us away from our identities. I don't know how to present myself: I don't like either denying my heritage nor belittling the struggle of black people. My mother was taught from infancy that being her was just wrong. This is so dehumanizing for reasons so stupid it makes me want to cry. And all this while real shitty people, the ones who trully have all the reasons to be disgusted at themselves, are running the country and stepping on everyone's heads, laughing and feasting with our resources.

Idk what black woman wrote this for him, but they are on spot on 👌🏾👌🏾

"Crown acts have been met with Republican opposition." *Pretends to be shocked.

Thank you for the call center appreciation John!!! My job allows us to bring blankets to the office. Black people should be able to wear their hair however they want to wear it.

I never understood why my black friends straightened/relaxed their hair, when I was DESPERATELY trying every device to PUT kinks and curls into my stick-straight Indian hair. I spent hours with a "crimping" iron and my black roommate was like "I don't know why you would want to do that to your straight silky hair". And I'd say "you don't know how good you have it with your fluffy, bouncy hair". The grass is always greener on the other side. Black women: know that your hair is beautiful and many of us want what you have.

I never thought I would see the day John Oliver spoke about black hair.

This is why you have diverse writers rooms

John Oliver is MY DUDE!!! I play catch up watching his show on demand. Dude did a whole azz segment on his show on Black Hair. Shout out to this on 🔥 awkward ally and his fantastic staff of Beautiful Black People who helped him with such a segment!!!💯😃

John is invited to the picnic. He spitting facts so hard.

I have an African American little brother. The rest of my family is white. My dad has done so much over my brother's life trying to learn how to take care of my brother's hair. I will never forget sitting in a px and listening to my dad have the most energetic conversation I have seen with an African American woman about what type of hair products she would recommend after she offered to help.

As a black woman with locs I’ve had since the 4th grade, all of this hit really close to home. My hair is one of my biggest sources of pride, it’s my favorite feature. My hair is beautiful, and I’ve spent nearly 11 years growing it out and taking care of it with everything I could. I’ve also been denied a job at a smoothie place because I “didn’t fit the aesthetic.” I’ve watched my father shave off his hair after starting a new job several times growing up because he “needed to make sure this job stays.” I watched my mom be mistreated and passed over for several promotions while working retail because of her own locs that she had had my entire life, and her finally making manager almost immediately after cutting them off. I’ve watched my dad try and convince my 11 year old brother that he has to get a hair cut despite never having one since he was born because “I don’t want you to be held back in life the day when you’re forced to do it.” Not if, WHEN. I’ve seen my younger sister flat iron her hair before big pictures and events because she thinks that’s cuter and better suited than her natural beautiful curls. Hair discrimination is a real thing, and it needs to come to an end.

“Wash day” sent me.

As a white dude…Didnt even realize how much this impacted black women until i dated and married a black woman…i had no idea people would randomly grab and touch black peoples hair….and i really had no idea that when a black woman says she cant do something because she is washing her hair….she truly means it….it is a gd half day ordeal…silk pillowcases…bonnets everywhere…but i love it. My girls hair always smells like something intoxicating….yum. Protective Styles P

I don’t know who wrote this episode but they DID THAT. Props to John for talking about this and for giving a writer the chance to really put their experience into this.

I am a professional with a STEM degree and I have been rocking my natural hair for the last 18 years. Have I been mistaken for the venue staff at conventions? Absolutely! Nothing is sweeter than telling some Tucker Carlson wannabe to get his own damned coffee as I take the stage. I LOVE MY NAPPY HAIR!!!

I’m not black, but I find it funny how I relate to the issue of hairstylists being unable to work with my hair or having difficulties with it. I have a white friend who’s a certified cosmetologist and he loves seeing my hair, but always complains about how difficult it is to cut because it’s so thick. And bless his heart, but there’s always more than a few issues when he’s done. Looking back, I have only had smooth haircuts from other people who were POC.

I just love this segment so much. The message is clear and on point.

Let me just tell you...I KNOW there are black writers in the room!!!!!!! These example are too on point. And when he correctly described how to apply a lace front, I fell out 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

"You people are beautiful" made me PHYSICALLY SQUIRM.

My friend’s mom took the time to teach me how to braid and I’d help every Saturday washing, conditioning, combing and braiding her little brothers and sisters. If I was lucky her mom would braid my hair and put in beads and I felt SO cool!! Some boys would pick on me and call me names but all the girls were jealous. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this but I am confused by it. Wtf does it matter if it’s braided, locked, picked out natural or straight? It’s hair, not a damn face tattoo.

1) Box braids: a style done by taking a pic comb, separating a square area of hair, taking a small section of that, braiding it, and then picking up the rest of the hair section with the 3 segments and braiding it down so that it is tight and lays with the natural flow of the hair 2) 2 strand twists: twisting words strands of a squared off segment of hair with the natural flow of the hair separately and then twisting them together tightly until the mass is tightly curled enough to make into a small bun and letting it rest around your head 3) corn rows: the same step as a mix braid with the addition of collecting more hair every rotation to all 3 strands (usually with the natural flow of the persons hair pattern but not always) often done as a stand alone style, as the base for a sew in weave, or as the bases for a bald cap/wig cap to go over before laying down a lace front because the braids are tight to your head 4) dreadlocks: sections of hair rolled between the hands or styled into cylindrical “tubes” of hair. Often times extra hair is added for colour/length. 5)Lace fronts: a wig where in small segments of hair are pulled into one lace cap, and bonded together but another layer of beige lace to mimic a natural hair line. The hair underneath is laid flat and then a wig cap is added to that followed by the lace front. A thin layer of adhesive of some sort, then you lay the lace down flat to the head (some people use a pic comb, a spoon, or just their fingers so that the wig lace is perfectly flat) then the lace is trimmed off, and styling begins That isn’t even half but it’s a good start for white people. If I have anything wrong please correct me in the comments. I used to style hair and my mission was to be able to work with any hair type and request so I was taught by my black stylist friends

At my old job we had a black coworker that was told she couldn't have her hair in braids because it was considered unprofessional and then went and hired a white girl with wild dreads and said she could keep them. Was absolutely ridiculous.

"Now I dont normally take pictures of children, but they were two beautiful black children" tf

I was born and raised in Siberia, Russia. I have straight hair, and growing up I was SO IN LOVE with Gloria Reuben's hair (from ER). Since we used to go to the steppe during summer and there were not many options to shower, my mum used to braid my hair. It was not a fashion choice (though it looked amazing), it was more of a necessity. One of the girls made fun of my hair, it affected me, but then I overcame that. We didn't have people of African decent in my city, and I've never actually expected this to be that harsh... But remembering my one and only judgemental interaction... I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Please, remember, your hair looks amazing, be proud of it!

I've watched this more than once and it remains terrific, fantastic, and timely. You go, sir! Drop that knowledge!

"...it unstraightened itself and back come the kinks" Every time my family leaves

I ALWAYS wear a straight wig on my job interviews. Then once I’m hired I’m like, here I am!!

I am so in love with this episode! Applause 👏🏾 for the writers and John!!! This was awesome. Now, how do we get everyone to watch AND understand?! 🤔

I recently got a tiny taste of how this might feel. A few days ago my mother who has beginning dementia (with visual/audio hallucinations) called me up to tell me my hair looked absolutely horrible, and that even her neighbors had commented on my appearance. She had transferred money to me and demanded I get my hair cut a certain way (she described the "Karen" ) and said that I also had to dye my hair blond as that would improve my appearance. She was very insistent and kept going on about how ugly and embarrassing my long hair was. I was crying non stop and pretty much in chock the rest of the day.. I have of course forgiven her now as she has a pretty good excuse for saying weird shit, and she felt really bad later when she realized what she had said. But if this had been my boss or a colleague and keeping my job depended on having the hairstyle they deemed suitable, I would have been absolutely devastated.

"I don't normally take pictures of children, but these were black children" This is so un-intentionally racist that I can't even begin describing.

Ah yes, another episode of "I thought this wouldnt be a problem but I underestimated the stupidity of humanity so it definitely is" with John Oliver

Wow, this has to be the most clearest way of explaining hair discrimination and why hair styles matter.

The detail in this story is immaculate, as it usually is . It just hits different because it's so personal.

Honestly, as a black woman, this episode makes me so happy. Not many ppl understand how frustrating hair struggles can be for someone like me. I've been mocked and belittled by so many ppl for pointing this shit out. It got so bad I ended up cutting it off bc I couldn't handle it anymore. It saddens me that it took a white man explaining this to ppl for them to listen but I deeply appreciate this

as someone who went to Penn State when that story happened, I wish he would’ve mentioned the fact that the entire student body and university faculty stood up for him and basically said fuck you to the guy that wrote the letter.

The girl in the Banana Republic looked gorgeous. And even I as someone growing up in mostly white European neighbourhoods and admittedly having no experience with black hair could see that her hair was extraordinarily well taken care of. I'd be pleased to see her in a shop. Where on earth did it diminish the image of the company? If anything, it would improve it as it may indicate less bias against people of colour. I've never had Dredd locks but as a teenager, my granny braided my hair into 8 to 10 braids to add some waves to my boring straight hair. And it took ages. The girl or better young woman had between 50 to 100 of them, and way longer hair than I ever had. I'm in deep awe of the woman and her hairdresser's patience to fix it. And even my thin, straight hair was sometimes looking like an exploded pillow before I straightened it back to what I wanted to have. But if you did that with the super thin braids of naturally curly black hair.... holy f.ck. That manager really needs to try braiding his daughter's or granddaughter's hair for a change to get an idea how time-consuming just 2 braids can be.

I am white. Extremely white. Very male even. So take everything I say with that context in mind. I went to a catholic school and decided I wanted long hair. I loved metal and rock and that style spoke to me and so I grew it out and encountered judgement for it. For the fucking hair on my head just growing how it grew. I was made to feel shame. Bullied. But I'm glad it never got to me because I love my hair. I've dyed it, grown it longer and I love it. But if my hair was judged based on centuries of oppression I could not escape and a culture refusing to even learn about me, well I can tell you I would not just "deal with it" and not care what people say. That would be heart breaking. That is something I'll never have to deal with but in a very very minor way, I've experienced a similar feeling with hair and so this is one fight I can relate to in at least some way. Hair is beautiful, no one owes you the style of hair you like. ESPECIALLY if it's based on race. Let people express themselves and stay the fuck away. People just want to be people. Let them.

"I don't normally take pictures of children but..." is the kind of statement that makes your skin crawl

18:20 This guy really pulled the "I'm not racist, I take pictures of black children at stores" card

This video was a perfect example of why representation matters. It’s obvious, based on the content, that John has black female writers in his writer’s room. I love the fact that, even through the voice of a white man, black women were able to tell their stories through this medium. Well done, Mr. Oliver.

Please redo this one with an audience we need the reactions to this amazing episode

It's a special kind of messed up when this happens in Africa. And it does. We police hair even in the absence of white influence. Colonialism was a mindfuck.

As a Sikh, this episode hit home. As a culture that has to face hair-based discrimination (sometimes brutal/visceral) for our entire history, it was refreshing to learn that we aren't alone in this world. For my fellow humans, who are ethnically black, don't give up, stand up for our own crown. The fight is hard, but worth it. For our own history, we have had to give up our lives for the right to keep our hair. Bhai Taru Singh was literally descalped for not cutting his hair. Protect your heritage and culture, regardless of their misunderstanding.

I have a desire to ask all kinds of people if I can touch their hair; sometimes the hair looks super soft, really silky, overly fluffy, or rock solid. My brain goes 'I wonder if it feels the way it looks?' I never actually ask, because that is super weird and not a thing you should ask unless you're actually friends.

You melt that lace , and you lay the edges down so well they fall asleep !!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥

I cannot adequately express in words the sheer debilitating cringe which flowed through my body watching the clip of that senator

It drives me nuts when people say "it's just hair, you're overreacting, stop making a fuss and cut it off." If it's "just hair" then why are you firing people and denying interviews over hair? Hm almost sounds like it's not just about the hair.

One of my first gfs is black. I remember my ignorant, southern, white, teenaged ass used to say that their hair wasn't a big deal, and they needed to chill about it. She quickly educated me on the subject and even had me over to her home to watch the process of her mother, her sister, and herself, getting their done. During those hours, I learned all sorts of things about their heritage, how their hair ties into that heritage, the discrimination they face because of their hair... I learned so much, and I was so grateful they took the time to teach me. Because as an adult, I know now that it wasn't their job to teach me, they didn't have to do that, but they did. And today I have an appreciation for the beauty and the work that goes into those intricate styles, and I'll defend them and their right to express themselves and their cultures for the rest of my life.

I had to cut my hair for my high school graduation. Definitely one of the dumbest things I've had to do. Fortunately I didn't have it grown as long as I do now but I won't ever be cutting my hair cause someone else wants me to again.

Black woman here...Am I the only one who is impressed by John's depth of knowledge on the topic of our hair? I was laughing so hard throughout this video. Thanks John!

When I saw the thumbnail is was like “you really wanna go there John?” I will never doubt the king again.

This episode showcases the reason I love this show. Oliver really makes sure he knows what he is talking about.

LMFAOO Girl when this man said "picture day holding your ears down while your mom or grandma gets uncomfortably close to your scalp" I was like what black writer put their truama 8n the script 🤣🤣🙏🏾 bc girl yes me too

"You can figure this out on your own, you figured out Settlers of Catan" is possibly the best quote I've heard this year

ah yes, my weekly dosage of “how the hell is america a real place?”

Can I please point out, how insane it sounds to talk about hair, like it is something magical that some people can't understand. The only thing that ANYBODY needs to understand about hair is: do not discriminate people because of their hair and don't talk disparagingly about it. It is both a testament to the extent to which racism permeates through our society and for the insane intensity ANY topic can be raised to, that someone felt the need to make a whole show about it. And I'm not saying that it is wrong to make a show about it, just that it is sad that there seems to be the need for it.

"You figured out Settlers of Catan" 😂

My extremely white daughter has extremely tight, curly, ringlet hair. My whole family has really curly hair. But we're also very white. Never have any of us been told we had to straighten our hair for a job or anything like that. This is obviously discrimination against black people and just uses a flimsy excuse centered around hairstyles. You know what my daughter's teachers say about her hair, and the only comment I've ever heard about her dark brown Shirley Temple curls from anyone? "Aw what beautiful curls" My hair is also very curly and big and grows out more than down but I'm ginger and so white I'm almost translucent. I've never been told my hair was inappropriate for the workplace.

When Leslie says “it could be fucking bing” and when Craig says “you figured out settlers of catan” I basically shit myself.

I am white. I have naturally curly hair that tends to ringlets. I have had people touch my hair and strangers pull spring curls to watch them bounce while I simply stand in a queue (less often during COVID, but hey). I was once asked during an interview if I had, “ever tried to control your hair” and was informed in a manager 1:1 meeting another time that I needed to do my hair up to hide it. I’ve also been asked how in the world I keep it clean when it’s so curly. The misconceptions about curly hair are just so weird! And yes, care and styling can be difficult and I wind up doing a lot myself to avoid damage in salons used to naturally straight hair. I reiterate, I am white and am therefore privileged to avoid much of the worst discrimination in this world and even I have had weird treatment about my natural curls. I feel for the women and men who face worse, more often. You do not stand alone. I am so glad to see this topic covered in such magnificent, accepting detail. Thank you ☺️

I want to meet the consultants who prepped John Oliver so well. His knowledge was on the graduate student level. “Holding your ears” while getting your hair pressed. Insider knowledge!

“Lay those edges so well they fall asleep.” I never expected to hear tht out of a white british man

As someone who has never had to think about my hair being the target to criticism from others speaks as to how uncomfortable and hurtful it might be by people of color to deal with this. I have to say that what we must do is to simply respect, and have understanding and awareness of what people of color has dealt with this for decades.

This video is my life in a nut shell. I'm 1/2 black & 1/2 white, raised by a older, white family in a very, very WHITE county in Oregon from 1976 til now. I'm 45 yrs. old and can't my hair to grow & not break off. Absolutely 000 hair salons in Salem and/or surrounding areas know what to do with my hair. So, I keep it quite short for easy management. I just want hair like the black women I see everywhere else. 👩🏾👩🏾

I had an afro in college and while I worked at a grocery store, my assistant store director pulled me aside and asked if I could cut my hair. I flat-out told him no, which surprised him. I then explained that the employee handbook forbade men's hair from growing past their shoulders and since my hair naturally grows out instead of down, I'd pretty much never be in violation of that. I told him it's not my fault a bunch of white dudes in the Midwest never accounted for black employees. He was left speechless while I just strutted away.