Sometimes self-care looks like quiet mornings and turning off your phone. Other times, it sounds like the band warming up, your favorite song at the tailgate, and somebody calling your name across the yard.
For many HBCU alumni, homecoming is more than a weekend on the calendar. It’s a chance to reconnect with the people, places, and traditions that remind us who we are outside of work, responsibilities, and everyday demands.
It’s not just coming back to campus. Sometimes, it’s coming back to yourself.
Being around people who know your story
There’s something special about spending time with people who knew you before your job title, your busy schedule, or the version of yourself that’s always holding everything together.
They remember your dorm, your late-night study sessions, and that outfit you thought was everything freshman year. And yes, they’re probably still going to bring it up.
Those connections can make room for something we don’t always get enough of: being yourself without having to explain yourself.
Joy deserves a place on the calendar
We make time for meetings, appointments, and everybody else’s needs. Homecoming is a reminder that joy deserves some of that same intention.
Dancing with your friends. Singing every word. Taking too many pictures. Laughing until you have to catch your breath.
You don’t have to earn those moments by running yourself into the ground first. Enjoying your life is a good enough reason to make room for them.
School pride is personal
Your HBCU experience is part of your story. Homecoming gives you a chance to celebrate it out loud.
The colors, the traditions, the familiar landmarks, and the generations gathered together can remind you that you belong to something bigger than your daily routine.
And getting dressed for it? That’s part of the fun, too. Whether you reach for a vintage tee, a favorite jacket, or a snapback that feels like you, your look can be another way to carry that story.
You don’t have to do everything
A full itinerary isn’t a requirement for a meaningful homecoming.
You can skip an event. Get some sleep. Set a spending limit. Choose a long conversation with an old friend over another crowded party.
The point isn’t to leave exhausted because you tried to be everywhere. It’s to spend your time in ways that feel good to you. Your homecoming can be a little less packed and still be full.
Bring some of that feeling home
When the weekend ends, think about what you want to keep.
Maybe it’s checking in with your college friends more often. Making time for music and celebration. Wearing your school pride on an ordinary Tuesday. Or remembering that you deserve spaces where you feel welcomed and seen.
Homecoming doesn’t have to carry all your joy for the year. It can be the reminder to make more room for it.
At The Talented 10th, we believe what you wear can celebrate where you’ve been and what you carry forward. Homecoming is one occasion. Your connection to that legacy lasts beyond the weekend.
What part of HBCU homecoming fills your cup? Share your favorite tradition or memory with us.