Born: 9 September 1922, United States
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
American children’s book writer Mildred Pitts Walter is known for her works featuring African-American protagonists. She has written more than 20 fiction and non-fiction books for young readers, including fiction and nonfiction, including:
Coretta Scott King Award Winner: Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World (1986)
Coretta Scott King Award Honors: Because We Are (1983), Trouble’s Child (1985), Mississippi Challenge (1992)
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Honors: Second Daughter: The Story of a Slave Girl (1996), based on the true story of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved woman who successfully sued for her freedom
Her autobiography, Something Inside So Strong: Life in Pursuit of Choice, Courage, and Change, was published in in 2019. She was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996.
Walter was also a civil rights activist involved with the Congress of Racial Equity (CORE) alongside her husband Earl, who served as national vice chairman.
With a master’s in education, Walter also worked as a consultant at Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education in Denver, and as a consultant teacher and lecturer at Metro State College in Denver.