I’m in total agreement with the above. A black male I know who attended private schools his entire life, graduated from one of the best private catholic high school (90% white) in the state (with high GPA/SAT scores, full-tuition scholarship, etc.) and when to a private university instate. He was ostracized during his freshman year and he took it personally, even refusing to eat at the residence hall due to the “rich kids from CT” (who dominated his floor) declining his offer to join them for meals. It became so bad, that he spent most of his time in his dorm. This is a kid who had mostly white friends during middle and high school and came from an upper middle class family.
OP, I would at the very least, give some credence to what your mother is saying. If you are very self confident and know how to get around obstacles, you should have no problem at any one of the private LACs. You should look at how diverse these schools, based on a number of factors.