SEAT Leaders Named Youth Honorary Chairs of National Banned Books Week 📚

Azeemah Sadiq and Marshall Romero will lead the annual weeklong program hosted by American Library Association and coalition partners on Oct. 4-10.

For Immediate Release
September 23, 2026
Contact: press@studentsengaged.org
Website: studentsengaged.org
                     

Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), a student-led movement demonstrating youth visibility in policymaking, is proud to announce that SEAT Policy Associate Azeemah Sadiq and SEAT advocate Marshall Romero are 2026 Youth Honorary Chairs for Banned Books Week.

The annual weeklong program hosted by American Library Association and coalition partners will be observed Oct. 4-10 with a "Let Books Be" theme. This comes on the heels of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vowing to punish school libraries. This recognition of Sadiq and Romero serves as a reminder that the movement against censorship remains unfinished in the Lone Star State. 

Sadiq brings grassroots leadership and lived experiences to trailblazing campaigns against book bans and censorship to ensure all students have access to literature with representation.

“I believe that young people should have a voice in conversations about what we are able to read and learn. Through my work with SEAT, I’ve seen how decisions about education and intellectual freedom directly affect students, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue advocating for students and their right to access diverse literature,” Azeemah Sadiq (she/her) said. “Books allow us to encounter experiences, cultures, and perspectives that may be different from our own, and that kind of access is especially important for young people such as myself.” 

SEAT senior policy associate Azeemah Sadiq reads Angie Thomas’s "The Hate U Give," a novel banned by school officials in Katy, Texas. Ayesha Muzaffar for Shift Press.

At 16-years-old, Romero took his advocacy to the Texas Capitol where they have spoken against policies harmful to LGBTQ+ youth. Romero connects his identity being trans in Texas to strengthen the fight against anti-trans legislation, including Senate Bill 12, which SEAT is suing in federal court.

“Being visible is crucial right now. As we see consistent efforts from partisans to suppress speech, it’s important we are all engaged in the fight against censorship,” said Marshall Romero (he/they). “Living where these bans are prevalent, and being given the platform to highlight why it’s eroding our freedoms, is an opportunity of a lifetime.”

This week: SEAT invites you to join a virtual “Show Up, Speak Up” event on Sept. 24 with Sadiq, Judy Blume, The Daily Show, and other leaders from across the nation. RSVP here.

Interviews & invitations: If you wish to interview or invite Azeemah Sadiq or Marshall Romero to an event, please reach out with your inquiry.

 

###

 

Advocating for a seat at the table, SEAT is normalizing the presence of students in educational policymaking – nothing about us, without us.