Taylor, Mildred D (1943- )

US writer. She has written realistic stories to help teach children about racism. Her books tell of the lives of black people in racially prejudiced white communities, and they often show the strength and security of family life side by side with the evils of racism. They include Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976), for which she won the Newberry Medal in 1977, and Let the Circle be Unbroken (1981).

Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi. She grew up and went to school in Toledo, Ohio, where she was the only black student in her class. After university she taught with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia and saw a pride and independence among the people there that reminded her of the stories her father had told her about his slave ancestors. When she returned to the USA, she studied journalism at the University of Colorado.