Reflection on SEAT Advocacy Day at the Texas Capitol and Work Ahead

 Friends:

I had the honor and privilege of attending Students Engaged for Advancing Texas—or simply, SEAT Advocacy Day a week ago on Monday,  April 21, 2025. At least 500 students and a few elders like myself had the privilege of being there. It was a daylong conference that had a plenary session together with breakout sessions on a range of issues for youth, including school funding, protecting immigrant students, DEI & LGBTQ erasure, religious freedom, book bans, mental health, and menstrual equity.

By far, the most popular one was on protecting immigrant students, indicating the gravity of the situation, together with the number of students impacted by animus towards immigrants that is, in great part, mirrored this legislative session in SB 1798, as previously posted. Still, there were so many people present that all the other sessions were also well attended.

As you can see from the photo below, they were also able to squeeze in a press conference. Check out this photo below with Texas State Representative Donna Howard.

Photo by Nora Dayton

At the current moment, SEAT is preparing for:

• Monday's Senate hearing, testifying against SB 2101 public library censorship.
• Monday's expected floor vote on HB 267, criminalizing educators.
• Tuesday's House PubEd hearing
• Tuesday's expected floor vote adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
• TBD floor vote on SB 13 – SEAT will co-host a read-in at the main rotunda with TFN.
• TBD floor vote on HB 1773 (student trustee), which passed committee! Hoping Calendars gets it on the floor soon.

Photo by Nora Dayton

Here is a photo of SEAT co-founder who I am so proud to know. Both Cameron Samuels and SEAT have been featured in The Texas Monthly, Teen Vogue, and The Texas Tribune on several occasions.

I had the experience and honor of testifying with Cameron on Senate Bill 3, Texas’ anti-CRT bill that passed during the 2021 Session of the Texas State Legislature. Cameron's succinct testimony that day resulted in a round of applause from the Senate gallery, despite norms of decorum. 

In the years since we met that day, Cameron has mobilized hundreds of youth to take a stand against book bans, anti-transgender bills, and turning school libraries, as they've done in Houston, into detention centers.

Photo by Nora Dayton

I could not be more pleased to see that Cameron is pursuing a career in policy and will soon be joining us at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin.

I like this photo taken of me here by photographer Nora Dayton because it reminds me of the conversation I was having at that very moment with a parent who had attended the summit with her daughter. She felt concerned about any animus people might hold toward advocates and wanted to make sure that this space was safe for her daughter.

I told her that the only animus these youth have experienced at the Capitol has been by legislators with bills that they see and feel as hateful towards them. For example, I shared, there is animus against immigrant students and trans youth in the hundreds of policies filed against them. She seemed relieved and thanked me for sharing.

All in all, it was not only a momentous but a historic occasion. Super inspiring. I have never seen so many youth at the Texas Capitol. Whatever happens this legislative session, all Texans must know that our youth are organized and on fire. Our future is in great hands!

-Angela Valenzuela