Six on-campus cultural organizations gathered Feb. 12 to discuss belonging, immigration concerns and gaps in support from the university, highlighting the shared frustrations and challenges that minority students currently face at Northeastern. 

Held in the John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute, the event brought together more than 80 students from various cultural clubs on campus, including the Northeastern Black Student Association, or NBSA, Northeastern African Student Organization, or NASO, the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, or SHPE, the Latin American Student Organization, or LASO, Northeastern’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers referred to on campus as the Black Engineering Student Society, BESS and the Dominican Student Association, or DSA.

The groups called for more transparency from the university about whether it would prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents from entering campus and about Northeastern’s diversity equity and inclusion, or DEI, values. Students also discussed the university providing financial support to make attending nationwide conferences more accessible.

“A big part of our mission statement is to promote cultural responsibility, and I think that’s what we did today,” said Ahmed Abuelbasher, a second-year mechanical engineering major, treasurer of BESS and co-organizer of the event. “Cultural responsibility is looking after our community, especially when Northeastern isn’t quite doing that.” 

Northeastern Media Relations did not respond by deadline to The Huntington News’ request for comment. 

The event facilitated a series of small-group discussions on current events and Northeastern-specific issues. Attendees were encouraged to sit with people outside their cultural organizations to foster new connections. 

Following small group conversations, attendees had the opportunity to share what their table discussed with the group. The event concluded in a group discussion about next steps, with attendees emphasizing the clubs should convene again and the importance of maintaining connections across cultural organizations. 

Throughout his second term in office, President Donald Trump has targeted higher education institutions across the country, including Northeastern. His administration’s threats to international students, crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and cuts to federal research funding at universities deemed too “woke” have led to widespread uncertainty among students and faculty at Northeastern. 

Abuelbasher said the Feb. 12 student congregation represents the “undeniable strength” of students who chose to unite in the face of shared adversaries. 

“It’s so many smart individuals in one room. We are going to mitigate the situation and put pressure on Northeastern,” Abuelbasher said. “Have them realize that the stuff they’re doing is not right. We’re not ignoring it. If we’re not ignoring it, then there’s going to be repercussions. They can’t sweep it under the rug.”

In January 2025, Northeastern quietly rebranded its Office of DEI, to the “Office of Belonging,” days after Trump signed an executive order calling for private companies and large non-profits to be investigated for “egregious and discriminatory” DEI programs. 

The rebrand sparked outrage among students and faculty, who called for more communication about how the university would protect community members.

Hennesi Salcedo, a third-year business administration and psychology combined major and social media chair of LASO, highlighted how the forum uplifted underrepresented voices in primarily white institutions, or PWI, like Northeastern. 

“Minority communities, especially, I feel like we are often not seen or heard, or we don’t feel seen or heard. So I feel like that’s another amazing thing that comes out of this event. It creates a space where you do feel seen, and you do feel heard, and you do feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself,” Salcedo said.

She added that the event fostered a sense of community that many students feel is lacking on campus. 

“It’s so easy to feel ‘other’ in this community specifically, [and also] in a lot of PWIs. Sometimes it feels like at Northeastern it’s like, ‘Where do I belong? And where do I fit in?’” Salcedo said. 

Many students at the forum shared frustrations about Northeastern’s lack of a clear public position on the Trump administration’s policies. 

“It’s the lack of taking a stance,” said Ngozi Nnaeto, a second-year behavioral neuroscience major, vice president of the Nigerian Student Organization and social media chair of NASO. “When Trump rolled the DEI thing, a lot of universities did speak out against it, and I was really admiring that. And if [Northeastern], the leaders of the school, have a stance that they know a lot of us would disagree with, just let that be known.” 

Northeastern’s Federal Landscape: FAQ page, formerly titled “Navigating a New Political Landscape: FAQ,” has been the primary form of communication with the university community since Trump’s inauguration. 

“The silence is just cowardly, almost, because if you believe something, be proud about it,” Nnaeto said. 

On Feb. 12, 2025, Northeastern issued a public statement signed by President Joseph E. Aoun, emphasizing the university’s enduring commitment to research and experiential learning during Trump’s second term. It is the only statement Aoun has authored publicly addressing the Trump administration as of publication. However, in April 2025, Aoun joined 320 university leaders in signing a statement condemning the Trump administration’s “overreach.” 

“We want to know if you’re with us. If you’re not, we want to know where you stand,” said Kendra Anim, a second-year bioengineering and biochemistry combined major, co-host of the event and assistant event coordinator of NASO. “We just want them to say something. Silence sometimes feels like you’re co-signing to a lot of these big issues.”

Students said the event was a collaborative effort and an attempt to consolidate thinking across different clubs. 

“The main part of this is being in connection with all these different people on campus. Just meeting people through my classes, minorities and all these different circles and spaces, the same conversations come up,” said Olivetan Millien, a second-year computer engineering major, technical outreach and community help chair for BESS and co-organizer of the event. “Why not put them in the same room and discuss the issues?”

Millien said that he hopes the connections built at the event are just the beginning. The forum’s true goal is to sustain the relationships formed and for its attendees to continue rallying together.

“I would love to see, one, this happen again, and two, just have a means of staying in communication with one another,” Millien said. “We know a lot of people, a lot of different people in a lot of different spaces, and leveraging those connections to elevate our voices.”

Correction: This story was updated Feb. 21 at 10 p.m. to correct Millien’s member organization and e-board position as well as the official title of BESS.