Illinois became the newest state to act against hairstyle discrimination under a new law signed by Gov. J.B Pritzker. The Senate Bill 817 , also known as the Jet Hawkins Law, prohibits schools from issuing policies on hairstyles associated with race or ethnicity. It directly responds to the continuous injustices in dress code policies and protects targeted Black youth in Illinois who often are punished for their presentation. The Jet Hawkins Law is named after a 4-year-old Chicago boy, Gus ‘Jett’ Hawkins, who faced discrimination as he was told his braids violated the dress code. Hawkins’ mother, Ida Nelson, raised awareness of the incident and its negative impact of stigmatizing children’s hair. “For us, this is bigger than just hair. Our hair is an extension of who we are as a race and is deeply connected to our cultural identity,” said Ida Nelson, mother of Jett Hawkins. “This is one huge step towards improving the mental health outcomes for our children, as it ensures that...
