Campus Curlz is a student club at San Diego State University founded in 2017 to educate and empower students on their natural hair.

The organization was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately leading to its shutdown. 

In 2023, students revived the club, and within the last year, it hosted their Crown Act workshop, which focused on a law that was passed to protect Black women who wear protective hairstyles. Samara McDonald emphasized that this workshop empowered individuals that their hair is their crown. Following the workshop was “Curlpool,” a carpool service that helped students get beauty supplies or attend hair appointments.

McDonald, now president of the organization, was a member after Campus Curlz’s return to campus in 2023 as it resumed its focus on natural hair empowerment while fostering a new community. 

“Campus Curlz was here before COVID, but they didn’t come back from COVID,” McDonald said. “A couple of my friends wanted to bring it back, so they brought it back my sophomore year.”

After the organization’s return, McDonald said attending the first meeting and her educational experience at SDSU sparked her curiosity about her own hair.

“I didn’t know my hair was damaged and so I saw other Black students on campus and I was like, ‘I want my curls to look like that,’” McDonald said. 

McDonald said the club originated at Hampton University, a Historically Black University. An HBCU is a college or university established before 1964 that focuses on the education of Black Americans. 

She said that, with Black students making up less than 4% of SDSU’s student population, getting exposure for the club has been difficult. 

McDonald said that Campus Curlz wants to expand to other individuals who also have curls and want to learn more about their hair, not limiting its outreach to Black SDSU students. 

“A lot of people think it’s only for Black students, which makes sense because of our logo and we were made out of an HBCU,” McDonald said. “We want to help people with curls in general.”

Members of SDSU’s Campus Curlz club participate in a game called ‘Shoot Your Shot’ at the club’s ‘Curl or Treat’ event on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026 at Visionary Suite, in San Diego, Calif. Students participated in a variety of natural hair related games to win candy prizes.
(Josh Whitehead)

McDonald emphasized the importance of educating members about products that will help them maintain healthy hair. She said there are ways to tell if a hair product is good. 

“You take one product, get the other product, and put it on your hand or your palm. I use the back of my hand and then just start mixing it around,” McDonald said. “Then if it lathers, that means it’s good, but if it starts to clump up, that means it does not mix.”

McDonald said hair care and healthy eating share similar practices. 

“If you’re trying to eat healthy and want your hair to be healthy, look at the ingredient stuff,” McDonald said. “If you see words you don’t even know how to pronounce, don’t get it.”

SDSU’s small Black student population isn’t stopping Campus Curlz from its mission. Rather, it motivates the organization to continue encouraging students of color with different hair types.

Nicaise Onyike, a junior and Campus Curlz member, said her experience with the club taught her how to manage her hair and be confident wearing it.

“I really like how they help you with taking care of your hair and how to manage your hair as a Black person because it’s really hard in today’s society,” Onyike said. “I feel like this club helps you be confident and comfortable with wearing your hair out.”