JMSU adopts 'Halo Code' to create a safe and inclusive space
What is the Halo Code and Why have we adopted in at JMSU?
The Halo Code is a gender-neutral policy which champions the right of staff to embrace all Afro-hairstyles. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black employees’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance.
The Halo code is important to us because it explicitly protects employees who come to work with natural hair and protective hairstyles associated with their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities.
By adopting this, LJMU and JMSU are proactive in taking steps towards creating a safe and inclusive space to study and work, allowing for individual identities to be expressed without fear of discrimination.
How we got here
As part of Black History Month in 2022, JMSU hosted a series of events including a Q&A panel with black staff and students from different cultures, religions and genders titled “Don’t touch my hair”. This was done as part of raising the profile of the Black History Month of theme of that year which was ‘hair’.
Hair is something that is so significant to black people for cultural, identity and heritage, and the stories and experiences shared were inspiring to all and reinforced the importance of hair not just within black culture but within all.
Following the input of these focus groups JMSU felt it was important to incorporate the significance of hair into our ‘More than a month’ campaign, with the outcome of adopting the halo code as part of JMSU and LJMU’s decolonisation pledge”.
Final Thoughts
JMSU are committed to working towards creating a world without hair discrimination and believe that no-one should have to change their natural hairstyle in order to thrive.
