Cameron Samuels Led a Powerful Movement Against Censorship in Their Texas School District
As a high school freshman in the Katy, Texas Independent School District, Cameron Samuels discovered an internet content filter on computers that prohibited access to LGBTQ advocacy websites, such as The Trevor Project. The category it fell under in the filter system? “Alternative sexual lifestyles (GLBT).” Already aware of the measures that the school district had implemented to ban books and censor vital resources, Cameron knew that it was time to speak up.
“Books were being banned during the 2021-2022 school year at an unprecedented rate. Most of those books were about LGBTQ topics, about race, about the Holocaust,” Cameron, now 18, told Seventeen. “[The district] wanted to close off access to perspectives they disagreed with, to ‘protect the children.’ But I knew that there was never a time where banning books was on the right side of history.”
In November 2021, Cameron stood alone before the school board to fight the district’s vitriolic censorship efforts and detail the detrimental impact it has on marginalized students — to which they received no applause. But they built a movement, packing subsequent board meetings with impassioned students. “I’m personally affected by issues of mental health. I am queer. I am Jewish. And I am harmed by these policies,” Cameron said. “If I don’t speak up for myself, or speak up for others, then who will speak up for us?”
Their efforts, combined with the power of the students, parents, and educators who fought alongside them, led to a petition with more than 2,000 signatures and book drives that distributed dozens of titles. And with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, the internet content filter was removed from Katy ISD computers. But their fight is not over yet.
What motivated you to lead a student movement against censorship in the Katy, Texas school district?
Cameron Samuels: My education, K-12, was in Katy, Texas and it was once a place for diversity in our curriculum, in our libraries, and in the programs and opportunities that were offered. It was a wonderful district that provided what it needed for its diverse community. But in recent years, it has become so much more conservative. I saw that the district was giving into bigotry that was spewed by parents at board meetings and by legislators that put pressure on the district to remove books.
I recognized that in order to build a movement, we need people. We need allies. The school board and state legislators had power over us and were using it to harm us. In order to respond, we had to build power amongst us young people. We had to network. I reached out to some friends who I knew were affected by these policies and had an interest in speaking up, whether anonymously or publicly.
While Katy was such a progressive community before, I don’t think it ever was a safe place to be openly queer or to stand up for marginalized races. We had to come together to make change. The school board meeting in November 2021 was the first time I publicly brought to light the internet filter. It was the first time we heard students responding to this effort to ban books. Soon after, my friend wrote a petition that’s now gotten over 2,000 signatures. Then the news started covering the school board meetings and the efforts by us, the students.
We got the district’s attention. We got the attention of students across the state. We unblocked 8 or 9 websites. We got books returned to shelves. We spoke at school board meetings to defend books so the committee knew that their decisions were being watched. It took so long but we were committed, and that is what made the difference. We persisted.
What are you most proud of achieving in your journey?
CS: Before graduating, I started working with the ACLU and we filed a complaint of discrimination against the district, which led to the dismantling of the LGBTQ internet filter. This was one of the biggest wins of this movement. Unfortunately, it took almost a year to make this happen. I wish that was something that the school board could have done, knowing that the students they represented were being harmed by these discriminatory policies.
But at the start of the school year, the board reviewed a policy that removed books from libraries when just a single parent of the 90,000 students challenged a book. It unfortunately passed without students on the committee, and with students having to request permission from their parents to check out books from classroom libraries. It also automatically notifies their parents, which violates students’ privacy. That was such a huge blow to our movement. But policies like this are happening statewide and nationwide, and we remain persistent.
How have you grown since your activism journey started?
CS: I lacked effective communication skills when I was younger, and it was a struggle on an everyday basis to find self-esteem. When I joined advocacy groups, I knew I was jumping into big leadership positions. It was something that I was very passionate about, but I struggled to see myself as a leader. Ultimately, these positions helped me grow. I know that it took a lot of courage, but having that growth mindset is beneficial.
What challenges have you learned from the most?
CS: I was someone who could not effectively communicate and lacked self-esteem. It was a struggle to find pride and to push forward when I was struggling. But persisting and knowing that I had people on my side who supported me, is what helped me grow as a person and as a leader, and continue to make change.
What inspires you to keep advocating for others?
CS: If we don’t stand up for ourselves or for others, then who will stand up for us? That is a mantra that I hold close to myself in my advocacy. I know that these policies are harmful to me and many others, and I know that I am privileged to be able to stand up publicly and fight this oppression. I know that many others cannot. It is a challenge to be queer, even in the most queer generation in history, and it will continue to be unless we have people standing up for us.
Parts of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Photo courtesy of Cameron Samuels. Design by Yoora Kim.
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