Last Week
Tonight host John Oliver took umbrage with white people’s obsession over Black hair, prompting him to dedicate the majority of his show to teaching white America about hair discrimination.
Oliver opened up the show with a funny clip from Real Housewives of Atlanta featuring stars Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams, where he acknowledged “edges do matter,” and that he likes to keep his laid while acknowledging Mondays as his wash day.
Shortly after the comical opener, the show host admitted that he probably wasn’t the best person to be tackling the subject, but wanted to highlight an issue long ignored in mainstream culture.
“On the whole, white people don’t understand a lot about Black hair,” he said. "The lack of understanding and lack of interest in understanding can have real consequences from the personal to the professional."
As Blavity previously reported, Sen. Cory Booker introduced a federal version of the CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) in 2019 after similar iterations of the bill passed in New York and California.
“Discrimination against Black hair is discrimination against Black people,” Booker said. “Implicit and explicit biases against natural hair are deeply ingrained in workplace norms and society at large. This is a violation of our civil rights, and it happens every day for black people across the country.”
In a study conducted by skincare company Dove, which is a member of an advocacy group pushing for legislation reform addressing hair discrimination, it was discovered that Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home or know a person reprimanded for their hair. The study also found that 80% of Black women “feel the need to change their hair from its natural state to fit in” the workplace culture.
“The point is, Black hair shouldn’t be viewed, corralled, or judged by white people’s comfort because it doesn’t belong to white people, it doesn’t affect white people, and white people really shouldn’t have an opinion on it,” Oliver said.
“Black people aren’t getting hired or they’re getting fired, Black students are getting teased or removed from school, all because of their hair,” he added. “Since professionalism gets defined by white standards and expectations, Black hair is more likely to crash into those expectations.”
Additionally, Oliver gave a brief history lesson on Black hair, sharing how formerly enslaved people were forced to shave their hair off. He also shared that by the 1960s, Black hair was seen as “a radical act of self-acceptance and political power.”
While evidently not holding back his criticism for white people's ignorance on the topic of Black hair, the host discussed the damaging effects of white people trying to copy or emulate Black hairstyles.
“White people appropriating Black hairstyles isn’t just infuriating, it can directly make it harder for Black people to fight discrimination concerning their hair,” he said.
Black actresses Uzo Aduba and Leslie Jones joined actor Craig Robinson in a special appearance on the show to highlight the need for people to inform themselves on the culture of others, specifically Black hair.
Firm in his stance on the importance of educating oneself, Robinson shared that the "information is out there," insinuating people should take accountability for acquiring knowledge.
“Once you get the information, you can appreciate all the beauty and hard work it takes to keeping my hair laid and looking good,” Jones said.
“You figured out sourdough bread last year, I think you can Google the word ‘weave,'” Aduba said.
