{{Short description|American political activist}} {{use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} '''Lisa Fithian''' (born {{birth based on age as of date|63|2024|5|1|noage=1}}) is an American political activist and protest consultant.
==Early life and education== Fithian was born in {{birth based on age as of date|63|2024|5|1|noage=1}}<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last1=Keh |first1=Andrew |last2=Rosman |first2=Katherine |title=The 63-Year-Old Career Activist Among the Protesters at Columbia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/01/nyregion/columbia-university-protest-consultant-lisa-fithian.html |work=The New York Times |date=1 May 2024}}</ref> and grew up in Hawthorne, New York. During high school, Fithian launched an underground newspaper called ''The Free Thinker,'' which focused on topics such as social justice and free speech, reflecting her early interest in activism. She began her work in the mid-1970s as a member of her high school's student government, where she served as president.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Lisa {{!}} Organizing for Power, Organizing for Change |url=https://www.organizingforpower.org/about/about-lisa/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |language=en-US}}</ref> She continued advocacy work as president of the Skidmore College Student Government Association. She graduated from Skidmore in 1983.<ref>{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Harkinson|title=Meet Professor Occupy |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/lisa-fithian-occupy-wall-street-teaching-civil-disobedience/ |website=Mother Jones |accessdate=10 November 2020}}</ref> Her brother David Fithian is the 10th president of Clark University in Worcester, MA.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Networks of Malignity |url=https://americanmind.org/salvo/networks-of-malignity/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=The American Mind |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Activism== Fithian served from 1980 to 1987 as a member and coordinator of the Washington Peace Center. During her tenure, she led and organized hundreds of events and demonstrations on a range of issues, locally and nationally. She led an organizational extensive anti-racism initiative, facilitated educational workshops, and supported campaigns addressing issues such as nuclear disarmament and racial justice. This helped transform the Peace Center into a multicultural organization.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://washingtonpeacecenter.net/whoweare_new/ |access-date=December 16, 2022 |website=Washington Peace Center}}</ref>
In the early 1990s, Fithian joined the labor movement, bringing her experience to the Justice for Janitors campaigns in Washington, D.C., Denver, and Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=French |first=Mary Ann |date=1995-04-14 |title=TAKING IT TO THE STREETS |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/04/14/taking-it-to-the-streets/21bdac8d-cd07-4ec8-a320-48dd6ea871e9/ |access-date=2022-12-16 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> She continued her work for social, economic, and environmental justice, providing training and organizing support to many of the global-justice mobilizations around the world since the shutdown of the World Trade Organization Ministerial in Seattle in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How We Shut Down the World Trade Organization |url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2019/11/29/world-trade-organization-shut-down |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=YES! Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
After Hurricane Katrina, Fithian worked with the Common Ground Collective in New Orleans.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Shut It Down: Stories from a Fierce, Loving Resistance": Lisa Fithian Reflects on Decades of Protest |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2019/9/6/shut_it_down_stories_from_a |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=Democracy Now! |language=en}}</ref>
Fithian previously served as a National Steering Committee member of United for Peace and Justice, a coalition of over 1,000 local and national groups working to end the war in Iraq.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Protesting Against War with Iraq |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?175562-1/protesting-war-iraq |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=C-SPAN.org}}</ref> She was also a member of the national team of Extinction Rebellion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shut It Down: Veteran Organizer Lisa Fithian Offers a Guide to Resistance in Era of Climate Crisis |work=Democracy Now |date=September 6, 2019 |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2019/9/6/lisa_fithian_activism_shut_it_down}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Jeremy |last=Deaton |title=The Radical Philosophy of Extinction Rebellion |publisher=PBS |date=August 2, 2019 |url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/peril-and-promise/2019/08/the-radical-philosophy-of-extinction-rebellion/}}</ref>
In April 2024, she reportedly played a significant role in the pro Palestinian protests at Columbia University. She was observed providing guidance to the students protesting for divestment from Israel, who launched an occupation of Hamilton Hall on April 29.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Keh|first1=Andrew|last2=Rosman|first2=Katherine|date=May 1, 2024|title=The 63-Year-Old Career Activist Among the Protesters at Columbia|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/01/nyregion/columbia-university-protest-consultant-lisa-fithian.html|access-date=May 2, 2024|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-04-30 |title=Columbia Threatens to Expel Students Who Took Over Building |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-30/columbia-student-take-over-campus-building-yale-police-clear-encampment |access-date=2024-04-30 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref> She instructed them on barricading techniques and crowd management.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A veteran activist joined Columbia protesters. Police call her a 'professional agitator. |website=NBC News |date=May 2, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/veteran-activist-joined-columbia-protesters-police-call-professional-a-rcna150261}}</ref> The New York City Police Department labeled her a "professional agitator" in footage released during a press conference, highlighting her influence in escalating the protests.<ref>{{cite web |title=Confirmed Professional Agitator Present At Columbia University |url=https://vimeo.com/941425219/9f41ebb336?share=copy |website=Vimeo | date=April 30, 2024 |publisher=New York City Police Department |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mayor Eric Adams says "outside agitators" influenced Columbia University protests. What does he mean? |website=CBS News |date=May 2, 2024 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/columbia-university-protests-outside-agitators-nyc/}}</ref>
==Writings== Fithian has written throughout the years, including the 2007 book anthology ''What Lies Beneath: Katrina, Race, and the State of the Nation'' by South End Press.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.akpress.org/2007/items/whatliesbeneath |title=What Lies Beneath: Katrina, Race, and the State of the Nation (publisher's overview) |date=2007-02-15 |accessdate=2007-12-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611014407/http://www.akpress.org/2007/items/whatliesbeneath |archivedate=2011-06-11 }}</ref> She wrote the 2019 book ''Shut It Down: Stories from a Fierce, Loving Resistance''.<ref>Publicist page at Net Galley for ''Shut It Down'' https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/166698</ref>
== In popular culture ==
* Lisa Fithian is mentioned in the 2015 Canibus song "Mr. Montana... Thank You"<ref>Canibus. “TIME FLYS LIFE DIES... PHOENIX RISE.” ''Canibus'', Rbc Records, 2015. CD.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071228221119/http://unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1757 United For Peace and Justice] * {{IMDb name|id=5051602}} *{{cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E6D71139F935A25752C1A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3 | title= Them Against the World, Part 2 | last=Bunn | first=Austin | work=The New York Times | accessdate=2008-01-03 | date=2003-11-16}} *{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/s/steal-this-book.shtml |title=Steal This Book Review (archived) | last=MacEwan | first=Valerie |work=Pop Matters site |accessdate=2010-10-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015055725/http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/s/steal-this-book.shtml | archivedate=October 15, 2010 }} * {{cite web|url=http://old.nationalreview.com/york/york200508290901.asp |title=Cindy Sheehan's Radical Strategist (archived) | last=York | first=Byron | work=National Review | accessdate=2013-08-17 |url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807112216/http://old.nationalreview.com/york/york200508290901.asp |archivedate=August 7, 2013 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fithian, Lisa}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:1960s births Category:Living people Category:Skidmore College alumni Category:American activists