About Mildred D. Taylor |
Page 2 |
Born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1943, Mildred D. Taylor was inspired and enthusiastic about The South. In the mid-1940s Taylor and her family moved further North to Ohio in order to avoid the prejudiced and segregated Southern states. Though she spent most of her childhood in Ohio the family often traveled back to Mississippi to visit friends and relatives.
During college Taylor majored in English and History and wrote her first novel, though it was never published due to publishing requests that she disagreed with. After college she joined the Peace Corps as a teacher and traveled to Arizona and Ethiopia teaching English and History. Next, she earned a Master’s Degree in journalism from the University of Colorado and later helped create Black Studies as a new course at the university.
After these experiences she entered the writing phase of her career by first writing a book for a contest. Her book won the contest and resulted in the publishing of Song of the Trees and began a series of nine books about the Logan family and their experiences. In 1982 she won the National Book Award and in 1983 the Coretta Scott King Award. Later her work would go on to win Newbery Medals, more Coretta Scott King awards, and numerous other acknowledgements. Take a peek in any school-age classroom library and you are sure to see Mildred D. Taylor works on the shelves.