Defiant

As the fight for equal rights continues, Defiant takes a critical look at the strides and struggles of past in this revelatory and moving memoir about a young Black man growing up in the South during the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. For fans of It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime, Stamped, and Brown Girl Dreaming.

Born in 1946 in Mansfield, Louisiana, Wade Hudson came of age against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. His close-knit family watched as the country grappled with desegregation, as the Klan targeted the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in neighboring Birmingham, Alabama, and as racism struck both across the nation and at their front door. But, amidst it all, Wade also grew up. He got into scuffles on the baseball field. He immersed himself in his church community. He started to write. And, most importantly, he learned how to use his voice. From his family, his community, and his fellow college classmates, Wade learned how to find the leaders of change and join their clarion call.

This powerful memoir reveals the struggles, joys, love, and ongoing resilience that it took to grow up Black in segregated America.