In the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the AIDS epidemic devastated communities across America, a small group of activists in Shreveport, Louisiana refused to remain silent.

Small Town Rage: Fighting Back in the Deep South tells the story of ordinary people who challenged government indifference, medical neglect, religious condemnation, and public fear during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American history. What began as a struggle for survival grew into a movement that brought national attention to a city few expected to become a center of AIDS activism.

Drawing on personal memories, interviews, archival documents, newspaper accounts, and the award-winning documentary of the same name, author David Hylan chronicles the rise of ACT UP Shreveport and the remarkable individuals who transformed grief into action. Their protests reached the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the halls of political power. Along the way, they built lasting friendships, confronted heartbreaking losses, and helped create services that continue to support people living with HIV/AIDS today.

At its heart, this is a story about courage, community, and the determination of marginalized people to demand dignity in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a Southern story, an LGBTQ+ story, and an American story.

More than three decades later, the lessons of their struggle remain as relevant as ever.

Small Town Rage preserves the voices of those who fought back and honors those who did not live long enough to see the victories they helped make possible.