Not On Our Watch: How Nadra Smiley and the Natural Hair Community Paused a Bill That Threatened Their License — Again

By: Angela Walker

When Nadra Smiley opened the email, she knew something wasn’t right. A former student had forwarded her a bill—HB3356—with a simple question:

“Did you know about this?”

The bill proposed to remove the hair braiding license in Illinois, a license that Nadra, her pioneering mother, Amazon Smiley, and countless others had spent years fighting to establish.

“We have to do something,” Nadra remembers saying.

She went into action immediately.

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The Fight That Started Over a Decade Ago

In 2011, Illinois made history by creating a licensing pathway specifically for natural hair professionals and hair braiders. That win didn’t happen overnight—it was the result of persistent advocacy by the Illinois Hair Braiders Association, community organizers, and cultural leaders like Amazon Smiley.

The license brought recognition to a profession deeply rooted in culture, care, and community. It gave structure to an industry that had long been overlooked or penalized for operating outside of Eurocentric norms.

It wasn’t just about compliance—it was about respect.

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The 2025 Challenge: HB3356

Fast forward to 2025. House Bill 3356, sponsored by Illinois State Representative Carol Ammons, proposed eliminating the hair braiding license altogether. Supporters of the bill called it a step toward access and deregulation. But many professionals in the field saw it differently.

For them, it meant erasing progress, lowering standards, and opening the door to potential fines and penalties for doing the very work that the state had once chosen to protect.

Nadra and others saw it as a dangerous step backward.

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A Meeting That Sparked a Movement

The first real pushback happened at a town hall-style meeting organized by Fatima Traore, president of the Illinois Association of Hair Braiders. Maywood Mayor Nathaniel Booker—who also serves as president of the Illinois Association of Local Elected Officials and the National Black Caucus of Local Officials—attended.

Initially, Mayor Booker had been told the bill was harmless. But once advocates like Nadra explained its consequences, he asked them to write out how it would specifically impact the community. Nadra and others delivered that list promptly.

It was a small but pivotal moment: the beginning of a more informed dialogue.

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A Last-Minute Trip to Springfield

Realizing the bill was still moving forward, Nadra and eleven others decided to make the four-hour drive to Springfield, Illinois, with little notice. They coordinated transportation in three cars and brought with them printed flyers explaining the bill’s impact.

The flyers were designed and paid for by Tamekia Swint, founder of Styles for Kidz, NFP, who produced them in less than 24 hours.

They spent the day speaking directly to lawmakers—many of whom hadn’t heard much about the bill at all. Nadra and her peers found that the name, “The Braiding Opportunity Act,” led many to assume the bill was a positive initiative. Few had taken a closer look.

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Speaking Out and Gaining Momentum

The next day, Nadra appeared on a local radio show to speak about the bill and the community’s concerns. One of the hosts made a call during the show to a state senator, helping to further amplify the message.

Shortly after, Nadra began receiving email responses from legislators who were now paying closer attention.

At the final hour, several names were pulled from the bill. It was placed on hold and is now scheduled to return to concurrence in October 2025. As it stands, the only person who can fully withdraw the bill is its sponsor, Rep. Ammons.

What’s Next?

Rather than waiting for the next threat, Nadra and others have chosen to build something proactive: the Natural Hair Professionals Coalition, NFP, formed in 2025 out of this very moment. Its goal is to strengthen communication and advocacy across the natural hair industry and ensure that policy reflects the reality of their work and impact.

For Nadra, the work is personal. She grew up in salons, around women who shared more than techniques—they shared strategy, community, and legacy. It’s a spirit she hopes to carry forward.

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Why This Moment Matters

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the bill, it raises a deeper question for the industry: How do we define progress? Who gets to shape the future of culturally rooted professions like natural hair care?

Nadra Smiley’s decision to act is one response. For her, it’s about preserving the dignity of the work, the safety of the professionals, and the long legacy behind the chair.

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Author’s Note:

This article does not serve as a level of allegiance but more so a delivering of the news of what’s happening in our industry and the fight a stylist has chosen to take on.

The Gist:

When a new bill in Illinois (HB3356) threatened to eliminate the state’s hard-won hair braiding license, stylist and advocate Nadra Smiley led a rapid, grassroots effort to push back. With the support of fellow professionals, she organized meetings, traveled to the state capitol, and successfully paused the bill’s advancement. Her actions sparked the formation of the Natural Hair Professionals Coalition, a new force committed to protecting and elevating culturally rooted hair care.