🏠 Homesick but Unheard: When Black Students Miss More Than Home

College homesickness is real. But for African American students at PWIs, it’s not just about missing home — it’s about missing safety, visibility, and cultural grounding.

The Myth of “Just Homesick”

It’s easy to dismiss the emotional toll of the first semester as typical homesickness. The kind that fades after a few weeks of new friends, routines, and class projects. But for many Black students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), the ache is deeper and more layered.

This isn’t just “I miss my bed” homesickness.
It’s I miss being understood.
I miss being seen.
I miss not having to explain everything about who I am.

And now, with many campuses dismantling their DEI programs, that sense of cultural safety is vanishing — and being replaced with silence.

What Makes Homesickness Different for Black Students at PWIs?

When African American students leave home for college, they’re often leaving:

• Communities where their identity was reflected and affirmed

• Churches, barbershops, family dinners — spaces of cultural nourishment

• Trusted adults who offered understanding beyond academic support

At PWIs, they may walk into:

• Classrooms where they’re the only Black student

• Residence halls with roommates who don’t share or understand their culture

• A campus climate that doesn’t reflect or even acknowledge their lived experience

This combination leads to a unique type of isolation — one that amplifies the emotional toll of transition.

The Role DEI Once Played

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices weren’t perfect, but they provided:

• Cultural spaces for connection and safety

• Mentorship and representation in staff and student leadership

• Programs that centered identity, healing, and academic persistence

With the removal or reduction of DEI infrastructure, students now face:

• Fewer places to unpack racial stress or microaggressions

• Less access to counselors or advisors with shared lived experience

• A growing sense that “this school wasn’t built with me in mind”

The Hidden Risks of Unacknowledged Homesickness

When homesickness intersects with racial isolation, students may experience:

• Increased anxiety and depression

• Disengagement from campus life

• Decreased academic performance

• Greater risk of transferring or dropping out

And because the issue isn’t always named for what it is, many students suffer in silence, fearing they’re overreacting or alone in their experience.

What Families and Educators Can Do

1. Name It. Normalize It.
   Talk openly about the real causes of homesickness — not just missing home, but missing community.

2. Build a Support Plan Before Departure
   Equip students with tools like the Emergency College Toolkit to help them advocate for themselves and stay mentally grounded.

3. Check In with Depth
   Go beyond “How are classes?” and ask “Do you feel like you belong?” or “Who do you talk to when you’re not okay?”

4. Offer Culturally-Aware Support Networks
   Churches, community organizations, and family networks can act as extended campus support — even from a distance.

🛠️ A Tool That Helps: The Emergency College Toolkit

Created especially for families preparing students to enter college without DEI safety nets, this free downloadable resource includes:

• Crisis contact templates

• A mental health check-in form

• Advocacy planning guides

• Campus emergency wallet cards

Because being emotionally ready for college is just as important as being academically prepared.

🎒 Download the Emergency Toolkit Here

Homesickness isn’t always just about home.
Sometimes, it’s about the absence of belonging, voice, and cultural understanding.

Let’s do more than send our students off with dorm supplies — let’s send them off with support that sees all of who they are.