Author: Anastasia Lacina

Anastasia Lacina (FCRH ’19) is a political science and history double major, born and raised on City Island in the East Bronx. She is a liberal and social activist on and off campus, involved in Fordham Women’s Empowerment and the LGBTQ+ Network of Support, as well as national organizations like the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project and GLSEN. Contact Anastasia at alacina1@fordham.edu

Right-Wing Extremism is the Most Dangerous Threat to American Democracy

Anastasia Lacina

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.” – Pastor Martin Niemoller, Holocaust survivor (1955) On October 27th, 11 people were murdered and six were injured in the…

Governmental Censorship in the Age of Trump

Anastasia Lacina

In 1951, William F. Buckley, Jr. published a book entitled: “God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of ‘Academic Freedom.’”  This work is the first instance of the all too familiar argument that conservative speech is censored on college campuses.  During the 1950s – when capitalism was at its peak, and the social movements of the 1960s had yet to kick off – this accusation was easily dismissed by the American public.  It wasn’t until the late 1970s that Buckley’s persecution complex gained traction in mainstream conservatism. Since then, conservative…

Civil Rights, Then and Now: A Conversation with Rev. Al Sharpton

Anastasia Lacina

FPR Copy Chief Anastasia Lacina sat down with Rev. Al Sharpton on February 26, 2018 to discuss gun control, mass shootings, and the future of the civil rights movement. Al Sharpton is a civil rights leader and baptist minister, and the current host of PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton on MSNBC and the radio talk show Keepin’ It Real. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of Fordham Political Reiview, its various members, or the interviewer in question. Anastasia Lacina: Thank you so much for coming…

White Radicalization in the Aftermath of Charlottesville

Anastasia Lacina

For most Americans, the alt-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 11th, 2017 was horrifying.  Just a few years ago, many would have thought that something like this was impossible: indeed, the idea of white supremacists and Neo-Nazis garnering enough support to march on the University of Virginia, freely and unafraid, in 2017 is disturbing.  Fewer still would have predicted that the rally—which resulted in three deaths and at least 34 injuries—would be actively defended by our president, Donald Trump. Needless to say, the power of white nationalists—both on the…

Donald Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of New Fascism

Anastasia Lacina

In the aftermath of the Second World War, we told ourselves: “Never again.” Standing in the rubble of London and in the ashes of Hiroshima, we swore that we would not allow a conflict of this scale to proliferate again. The generation that had seen the rise of fascism and genocide, of dangerous nationalism and xenophobia, vowed that we would not stand by and do nothing in the face of the Hitlers and Mussolinis of the world. They promised. And now, their children and their children’s children are breaking that…

Whitewashing in Hollywood: Why Diverse Media Representation Matters

Anastasia Lacina

For over a century, the entertainment industry has displayed more than its fair share of racism. Since the conception of full-length motion pictures, there has been egregious discrimination against minorities in film. The first film ever shown at the White House, in 1915, was Birth of a Nation, a film that glorified the Ku Klux Klan and demonized African-Americans in the South. The first American “talkie” was The Jazz Singer in 1927, which featured white actor Al Jolson performing in blackface. From cinema’s very conception, minorities have “long felt the…

Sharks and the Countdown to Extinction

Anastasia Lacina

Sharks are fundamentally misunderstood creatures. For centuries, sharks have been feared because of their sharp teeth, ominous fins, and vicious visage. However, sharks are not a danger to humanity. In fact, they’re not even on the “Top 100 Greatest Threats to Humans” list. The top spots on that list go to heart disease, cancer, car accidents, and suicide. However, sharks only kill an average of five people per year and injure an average of thirteen people per year. To put that number in perspective, lightning kills 24,000 people per year.…