Defending the Freedom to Read — A Conversation with Sabrina Baêta of PEN America

Listen, reflect, and take action for your right to read.

In this episode of Rise with Defense of Democracy, host Addison K. Witt, Poet Laureate of Defense of Democracy, sits down with Sabrina Baêta, Senior Program Manager of PEN America’s Freedom to Read initiative.

Sabrina shares how book bans are reshaping classrooms and libraries across America—and why this movement isn’t just about literature, but about democracy itself. Together, Addison and Sabrina explore the power of reading as resistance, the personal impact of censorship, and the hope that fuels those fighting to protect access to diverse stories.

This is a heartfelt conversation about courage, community, and the vital role that young readers, educators, and advocates play in defending intellectual freedom.