How Racist Is Boston? | The Daily Show 

Being at the receiving end of something is very different than looking in and never experiencing it.

I lived in Boston for 21 years. Love that place and I say it is my adoptive state (I am from a US territory). I left Boston because between 2015 and 2018 me and my family experienced a sudden increase in micro aggressions that culminated with a white kid attacking my black son with a metal chair in front of the teacher and the teacher did nothing to stop the attack because my son "could take it". I asked the teacher if my son would have defended himself if he would have intervene then and he said "of course, I said he can take it, not that he could fight him". The kid got 6 months probation and if he didn't re offend during those 6 months charges would be dropped and if he re offended, he would have done 6 months at a juvenile center. To be clear, I am ok with that. The next week my husband was hired by two racist guys who offered him to work "without papers" when my husband is American. Finally at work a new employee was annoyed that he had to ask me, as his superior, for permission to leave and sent me an email saying "I'm heading back to where I came from and you should too." and Cc'd the entire team including my superior, thinking that his whiteness was enough to protect him. He was fired after refusing to apologize to me (and the team) and for refusing to stay as he was instructed by his superior and his superior's superior. Regardless the damage was done. Boston wasn't home anymore, it is damaged goods. I'm back home and I'm happy. Here I'm just another human walking down the street. I like that a lot.

Wokey the Walrus. That's honestly the most hilarious mascot of all time I've ever heard

Reminder: This is the metro area that arrested Dr Henry Lewis Gates, Jr, distinguished Harvard professor, for having trouble getting into his house and getting mad when the cops didn't believe it was his. Bringing truth to the Malcolm X line about what a black guy with a PhD is called in America.

"Know your neighborhood, know where you are ALLOWED..." where you are allowed?! Allowed? So, I have to ask someone where I'm allowed 🤦🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️😔

Notice they had to fade that one lady out because she said Boston 😂

"How can a town with so many great colleges produce nothing but dopes?" -Peter Griffin

The old white guy said HE doesn't feel it. I laughed immediately 🤣. Then a half hour later when I finally stopped laughing, I said yeah you wouldn't.

I got an Indian Friend who moved out of Boston due to racism. And he was earning 6 figures

Before moving to boston I had heard how liberal the city was. When I moved there I was surprised at how segregated it is.

That “mm” after Jeff sessions said everything we needed to know how she felt about Jeff Sessions😆

I think the biggest problem in Boston is the teachers do nothing, if they see bullying. My daughter who is not black has experienced that and has observed that kids get away with a lot of aggression on minority kids and the teachers do nothing. Most of this happens in middle school. In high school things get much better

Roy Wood Jr is so underrated, if you haven’t watched any of his stand up specials go do that right now!!!

I KNOW that this is a video from "the before times," but I still had the impulse to yell "ROY! You're too close! Six feet!" That impulse is never really gonna go away, is it?

3 out of 5 racists agree, that whatever you're talking about, that's not "racist." 🤔🙄😅

Even Denzel Washington was harassed there when he was on his hotel balcony! Back in the day 🧐

You know what, Bill Burr should probably get a real kick out of this one

I went to Boston to record at Rick Ocasic's studio with a Chicago heavy metal band. Afterwards I was taken to the airport to wait for my flight, and if you've been there you know how the seating used to be. A white woman told the waitress that she didn't want to be seated near me and asked her to move me and the roadie some place else. The waitress told her to sit somewhere else. Yeah, that was in the 80"s.

"How racist is Boston." Shows a celebrity that took out a guys eye in a hate crime.

The unit of measurement for racism is a Fuhrman. So saying one N-word outside the context of a rap song is one Fuhrman. So Boston is 278,000,581 Fuhrmans

"how racist is Boston?" *shows Mark Wahlburg* Ah so that's a "yes"

Aaaargh! White guy here, born in Boston. I took over management and operations of the Boston School Transportation system under an independent management contract just a few years after Judge W. Arthur Garrity's desegregation order and was in that system for nearly 20 years. About 68% of my workforce of +/- 1400 employees - drivers, mechanics, supervisors, etc. - were non-white. In accordance with the terms of my contract I scheduled "Diversity Training" sessions at the outset of the contract. At one of the first meetings I made a reference to "minorities" but was called out on that. "Mister, just so you know. You are the minority here, not us." It was a wake-up call and then I started to learn and become aware of the challenges my employees faced - every day - in their respective neighborhoods and while on the job in some parts of Boston where they were not really welcome. It was humbling to say the least. Yeah, "Blue" Boston still has a deep "Red" streak...

Racism in Boston mostly manifests itself in home ownership/rentals. There are places where a highly educated & distinguished black person/family won't be allowed to live and this is accomplished through homeowner associations or realtors (or both). Fenway Park is notorious for racist punks because the club ignored the issue until recently when it got splashed in the major newspapers around the country and brought enormous shame to the city/area and threatened their ability to sign quality talent. I lived there for over 20 years so I'm speaking from firsthand experience.

"Know where you're wanted?" That's tragic.

How racist is Boston? Yes.

Lol did you blur that one person's face because of how vocally they agreed with the racism? Just an odd observation I made, not sure if anyone else saw that 😂

3:46 Had to laugh at the sounds that lady made in reaction to the names _Jazzy Jeff_ and _Jeff Sessions._ :-D

Wokey the Walrus should be its own segment from now on 🤓

Lol 😂 I grew up in Boston they IS RACIST, but walk away a few blocks and they’re not racists it’s crazy, even I was targeted by Caucasians even though my Mom was Caucasian, my Dad was mixed , and my husband was shot at 16 for being half White and Pacific Islander , I can tell y’all some stories

I’m Asian American, born and raised in NYC. Oh yeah, I felt the racism for sure when I visited Boston a few years ago. I got stares by white folks as if I’m some alien foreigner. And no, I wasn’t wearing some outrageous outfit or anything that would attract attention other than the color of my skin. The last time I had this happening was when I visited Frankfurt, Germany with my family couple of years ago, everyone stared at us on the train. I would assume this happens if I visited somewhere south of the USA, but I wouldn’t of thought a huge city in the northeast would act this way, but YUP. The reason I bring this up is because for centuries nobody listened to Asian voices about racism towards us, this new generation is tired of it, time to speak out especially now more than ever before. No more sweeping it under the rug. This so called “model minority” is very damaging. Side note: I grew up with racist remarks since I was a kid by white neighbors, and I lived in the most diverse city on earth, QUEENS NY. racist folks are everywhere.... even where you think there won’t be. Unfortunately. Let’s spread love not hate. Also - first and foremost - Black Lives Matter. The Black community are the only ones I was able to confide in and look up to because of the struggles they’ve been through, I couldn’t relate my own experiences with any other, there were no Asian representation or voices heard anywhere when I grew up. Let’s love one another 💜

Shout out to The chill White people that want unity/peace and stand with minorities❤.

Roy Wood Jr is hilarious

My buddy moved back to Philly from Boston. He said it was too racist aaaand He's white.

YES and I’m from the region. In the October of 1989 we rode the train to work the morning Charles Stuart’s pregnant, and mortally wounded wife Carol was featured on the front cover of the paper. The tension was so thick on the train, you would think we did it. By the way after going on a hunt for any African American man who the husband said shot them, it was actually the husband 😡 who killed she and their unborn son.

Born and raised in Boston and have many troubling personal anecdotes. Now I live in the burbs and have to try to explain structural racism to Republicons who don't think it exists.

there is no non-racist place on earth

“ A white person in Boston doesn’t wanna be the only white person in the room” No, I’m pretty sure that’s everywhere. And everyone. No one wants to be the only *anything* in a room, with a couple of exceptions

You’d think all they would need to fix things would be to learn New York is ahead of them. Usually that’s all it takes to get Bostonians into full on rage mode.

I used to listen to the daily show on headphones and not actually watch it. From the way Trevor said his name, for the longest time I thought his name was: Roywood Junior.

Grew up in Beacon Hill so I definitely understood that "know your neighborhood" all to well.

I moved to Boston in 2018 big mistake! I was out of there by January 2019. Bostonians you win you can keep your town white. 😔✌🏽

so anyone else notice how comedy central keeps posting the same videos? Jordan Klepper has the same video posted about trump rallies like 1000 times. this video was made like 5 years ago itself.

I'm white, and I lived in Boston for 11 years. Boston is a city I still love, but it has a lot of work to do when it comes to racial equality.

When I was stationed in Connecticut in the 70's and 80s if you couldn't prove your family came over on the Mayflower you were looked down on, no matter what color. The Mayflower must have been a really crowded ship.

Kelly Stamps already told us the truth about Boston💅🏿

Been waiting for this one. Back in the early '90s I had Beantown roommates who were the most passive-aggressive, closet racists I'd ever met up to that time. Another guy from Arizona was just as bad. I lasted almost 2 years & had to get outta dodge.

I went to Boston for college on scholarship … from the Bronx. I attended anti-racism workshops from hosts that just don’t get it. My professors never saw a poor person before. I wish I was kidding.

Those folks who say they don’t have a problem just let everyone know they don’t have any empathy or awareness

I visited Boston on trip with my GF a few years back. I have never in my life experienced such overt in your face racism. I thought I was being sensitive (not the sensitive type) but no, it was real. It was everywhere. I have travelled the world over and never experienced racism like I did on that trip. I will never set foot in Boston again.

When he said Tampa on that list I about had the same reaction

3:43 that jazzy jeff/Jeff sessions scale made me busy up laughing.

I currently live in Boston & work as a Starbucks Barista, IF U FIND ME I'll give u your Grande Soy Latte FREE! ...But didn't grow up here. My nana here is a racist but you'd never know since she only says slurs while Maury is on and its always bothered me.

Dude, sociology degree with a concentration in cultural diversity. Working cust service now. I want this voice.

They released this video before. Seems they just uploaded it agian.

Roy Wood Jr is a gem💎

Roy Wood Jr. really is the star of this show.

Wokey the Walrus is awesome. He should make appearances across the country.

A couple of my MEXICAN friends went to go see their bro graduate from a college in BOSTON.....they got very cold shoulders in the "CHEERS" bar.

Oh wow! Akilah’s hair is so gorgeous! 🔥💯

The 1st 4minutes was so deep, meta, and satirical

I was born in Boston (1973), raised in Boston, left in 2000 to travel the U.S. and now live in Virginia (the original home of the Confederacy). I'm ready to go back to Boston.

I love the daily show but I am so sick of them uploading old clips.

I have been in the Boston area for work, for 6 weeks now. I find level of micro aggressions astounding. I had to Google " is Boston racist" to find this video!!! How was I not told this prior to arriving? I thought this was the East Coast? It's sad. I can say that I don't feel safe here. That's crazy...

So hilarious😂💙

i could walk down every single part of boston and greater boston with no problems due to my race. that is absolutely not the same in L.A. or Chicago, or New York. the bruins were the first nhl team to integrate. also mark wahlberg has multiple convictions of assaulting blacks and asians (which normally wouldn't matter, except it was stated explicitly that race was a catalyst). so you win some you lose some.

Bill burr should probably get a kick out of this one lol. Roy Wood jr is hilarious

If you don't love Roy Wood Jr.----you just don't know how to love. He's brilliant from Birmingham to Boston.

To be fair, Boston is an equal opportunity hater. I’ve heard people get hate for being Protestant, British, from Tennessee, Black, High School Dropout, Having a Perm, no matter what people in Boston will roast you

Jeremy Renner isn't from Boston. He was in "The Town", but he got there a month early to learn the accent.

2:22 That's like asking straight people about homophobia Or asking cis people about transphobia Wait that's politics

The mayor declared racism a public health crisis but OK 👍

You guys are funny as heck with truth. 💕🙏🏽✌️

Shows how important education rlly is

Wokey The Walrus has a lot of work to do 😞

I remember in the late 80s growing up with people from different ethnic groups in the projects in Charlestown. Those childhood days were so fun.

RU-vid needs to pay the CC programmer a little more

Here’s what I can tell you from a Hispanic kid who grew up in Boston and is 22 , Boston is CLASSIST, People here judge and treat you depending on your social class

Absolutely fantastic reporting by Roy Wood Jr.

Grew up outside of Boston...I'm horrified, had no idea....

Why does The Daily Show keep reuploading old clips?

I live in the next state over and even I know not mess with Boston. I am to "tanned" for that.

love the tricycle end bit. what a witty end.. haha

Roy Wood is going to join the long list of stars to come out of the daily show and shine.

I think the big problem is that people are still expecting racism to be always look like n-words and white hoods, and that's just not how it is. We know racism is bad, so racist people can't admit their own racism to themselves without risking social stigma, and if they can't admit it they can't change. At least that's my impression.

This is an example of how media used to label “racism”. Racism against blacks. But what many people failed to realize is that racism has been happening to non-black minorities as well. Today, when we talk about racism, it shouldn’t just be about blacks, it should be about asians, latinos, aboriginals, and even whites.

Wait... I've seen this before... like ages ago... but it doesn't hurt to show it again =)

Ok, personal experience: I'm a black guy from Mississippi. I enrolled at MIT in 2007 and during my time in the Boston/Cambridge area, I did not feel racist vibes. Granted, Boston as a city is likely very different than the collegiate environment, but that's just my experience.

I’m from Boston and white. Yes we have a problem, I was teased endlessly as a kid for sticking up for the rights of black people. It infuriated me as a kid and it still does today. That was outright racism I saw by kids who followed parents lead. I find most people don’t feel that way about skin, they don’t outright hate people for their skin color. They do overlook everything they are experiencing though, and part of that is the result of a systematic racism that needs to be pointed out. Thankfully we are starting to talk about it. In the media, in the news, and my hope is it will spread to white people talking with each other. I have friends from all over with different understanding of the level of systematic racism and what it is. I do hear conversations happening in different places, but people are hard to change, and the fact is for most people racism is hating someone for the color of their skin. If they don’t feel that way they feel their done with that issue.You can change the name of Yawkey Way all you want, but until black families feel welcome in Fenway Park, we’ve done nothing.

Why is this video not made available in Australia?

I've been to Boston ONCE. Never again. I thought I was in the twilight zone. It was bad.

“I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” -Frank Costello

Most cities up north tend to me be more segregated but that doesn't mean it's more racism.... especially if the city is designed or layed out in a way that makes it possible for each group to have it's own neighborhoods...I used to live up north,,it wasn't that bad,,it was actually better than southern cities, most people don't really ever have to leave their neighborhoods to shop,, everything is convenient in every section of the city,,at least where I used to live,it was.....versus southern cities which are only designed to serve wealthy people,,classist and they make everything inconvenient and spread far apart for the poor...there is actually more racial clashing in the south because it's a forced integration where you have to be together all the time....

I am black and from The Bahamas. Had know issues with white folks in Boston. I was the only black guy on my Team in IT when I worked at Fidelity Investments in the early 2k. Played soft ball with different teams at work. Had white friends and nothing racist came up. Maybe they did that behind my back, but they were all cool. Got lost on some road late at night and a white family helped me out with directions. I was in my early mid twenties back then. My wife and I went on vacation a few years ago. First time going back since I left Boston. Ate at a ton of restaurants. People steered but didnt experience racism.

As a native Bostonian I have to say that the area is extremely segregated. At least it was when I went to school there. In one of the wealthier suburbs, Wellesley, out of my class of 200, there were only 2 black students who lived in town, and they were not African-American, they were British-African and Congolese. The rest of the black students were bused in daily from Dorchester or other Boston areas via the Metco system and Wellesley college also had a program to bring a couple black females from NYC to live on campus and go to the public high school. We read Black Boy and Native Son in English class and people were generally well-meaning, but it is hard to understand institutional racism when the towns around Boston are so segregated. Even when that is the definition of institutional racism.

he said on a scale of jazzy jeff to jeff sessions!! 🤣🤣🤣 she said “mmmmm”

Its not just Boston. I lived out in Westwood with a white bf and on halloween the kids who were trick or treatin' asked if I was the maid..........

Priceless. And so accurate.

I want to be Wokey the Walrus for Halloween !!!! 🤣🤣

Racism only matters when it is embraced so be honest about being racist & learn to be better that's all :D Everyone should always want to be & do better :D love you all great work Roy Wood Jr. You're one of the funniest people alive in my opinion!

1:18 😅😂😂