By Quentin Brown

This article was originally published on Word In Black.

Overview:

Triggered by shared understandings of oppression, the alliance between Black American students and students from abroad cuts across nationalities, but is particularly strong with students from the African diaspora.

Originally from England, Azeez Adedeji, a senior studying business administration and sports management, was drawn to Northern Illinois University by the diversity of the student body on the Dekalb, Illinois campus. Now a senior, he says the affordable tuition also didn’t hurt.

But Adedeji’s sense of comfort at NIU was disrupted in March, when the federal government deported two classmates and fellow international students — one from Kenya, the other from Ethiopia.

“One [student] was researc

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