2022 Brings New Laws To Illinois: Here’s What You Need To Know

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Gus "Jett" Hawkins in 2021. After Jett's West Side school banned him from wearing braids, his mom led a successful campaign to ban hair discrimination in Illinois schools.

CHICAGO — A slate of new city, county and state laws in 2022 will affect education, criminal justice, deportation and eating out for Chicagoans.

Schools no longer can crack down on nonwhite hairstyles, and they must do more to protect children from sexual misconduct. Chicago restaurants must stop offering pop as a default drink for kids meals and limit how much single-use plastics they give to customers ordering takeout.

Here’s a closer look at 2022’s new laws:

Ban On Hair Discrimination

When 4-year-old Jett Hawkins came to his West Side school in March sporting braids, administrators told his mother the hairstyle violated a policy that banned several Black hairstyles, including locs, braids and cornrows on boys.

Jett’s mother, Ida Nelson, pushed back, saying the experience of “policing Black children’s hair” can impact a child’s mental health, self-esteem and confidence. Such policies also encourage Black people “to assimilate to fit in with white culture and discard their history and their Black culture,” Nelson said.

The story caught the attention of state Sen. Mike Simmons — who keeps his hair in long, freeform locs — who drafted the bill with the Illinois State Board of Education.

The law requires the state board to complete a review of school handbooks and policies to ensure they don’t single out and ban Black hairstyles like cornrows, locs and braids. The law also directs the state board to produce educational resources for schools about hair discrimination, and the histories behind protective hairstyles Black people often use.

Jett and his mom were on hand when Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Jett Hawkins’ Law in August. It goes into effect Jan. 1.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Jett Hawkins poses for a portrait, donning his hair in braids, in his family’s Douglas home on Wednesday, March 17, 2021.

Credit: Pascal Sabino / Block Club

Jett Hawkins and his mother Ida Nelson stand with Governor JB Pritzker at the signing for the ban on hair discrimination.

Originally published by Pascal Sabino, Mina Bloom, and Block Club Chicago Staff on Dec 30, 2021 View full article here.