L-R: Illinois State Sen. Mike Simmons, four-year-old Jett Hawkins and his mother Ida Nelson fought to pass the Jett Hawkins Act, which bans hair discrimination in Illinois schools. The bill was signed into law on Friday, Aug. 13. Photo Credit: Dee Jefferies of DEE JEFF MEDIA
A mother on Chicago’s West Side has won her battle with Illinois schools over a ban on traditionally Black hairstyles like cornrows, locs and braids.
Ida Nelson first took up the fight to defend Black hairstyles after her 4-year-old son, Jett Hawkins, was mandated in March to remove his braids by administrators at Providence St. Mel School.
A prestigious private school in Garfield Park with a predominantly Black student population, Providence St. Mel has a track record of sending 100 percent of its graduating seniors to college. The principal, Timothy Irvin, is also Black. However, the handbook still states that hairstyles such as cornrows, locs and braids are a violation of the dress code.
Nelson said the experience left her son visibly troubled and he thought he’d done something wrong by wearing his hair in braids. Now he’ll never have to worry about rocking his braids again.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Jett Hawkins’ Law – which makes hair discrimination at the K-12 level illegal in the state – on Friday, Aug. 13. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, according to Block Club Chicago.
Nelson said she is pleased with the outcome of her son’s namesake bill but cautioned there is much more work to do. The victory in Illinois is one small step in protecting Black students’ self-esteem and the right to express their unique identities and heritage, she said.
“Our hair is an extension of who we are as a race and is deeply connected with our cultural identity. This is a huge step toward improving the mental health outcomes for our children,” Nelson said, adding, “policing Black children’s hair” is a harmful practice.
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“The work must continue to proactively create safe spaces in schools where children of color are accepted completely and also in the workplace … It is time to change this nationwide,” Nelson continued.
Upon signing the bill, Pritzker expressed similar sentiments, saying the new law would allow Black students to “embrace the power of their heritage rather than compromise their identities,” according to the Chicago Sun Times.
California became the first state to ban hair discrimination when it passed the 2019 CROWN Act. The Illinois legislation was drafted and sponsored by State Sen. Mike Simmons, who wears his hair in freeform locs, after hearing Nelson’s story.
“It’s important for me to act on my lived experiences. I know from my childhood what it’s like to be regularly belittled, humiliated, isolated and shamed by adults in the school setting,” Simmons said. “Black youth should be able to learn and become who they are without being traumatized and constantly targeted for who they are.”
The new law requires the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to do a thorough review of school policies and handbooks to ensure dress codes are not singling out Black hairstyles as violations. If schools fail to comply with the new law, they face cuts to funding and losing their recognition with ISBE.
Simmons said he believes the bill is a step in the right direction. He commended Nelson for her stance which led to the bill’s creation and Pritzker for signing it into law.
“Kids like Jett deserve to express themselves however they see fit and shouldn’t have to be restricted by outdated and often racist dress codes,” Simmons said in a statement. “Learning at a young age that you have agency and control over your own life can be extremely empowering for Black children. I’m thankful to and proud of Jett and his mother Ida Nelson for taking a stand on the issue and for becoming activists for Black people to be able to wear their hair naturally and as they see fit in all spaces, and I’m thankful to Gov. Pritzker for signing this act into law.”
