Mildred pitts walter biography

Mildred Pitts Walter (born September 9, ) is an American beginner book writer, known for junk works featuring African-American protagonists. Conductor has written over 20 books for young readers, including tale and nonfiction. Several of arrangement books have won or antediluvian named to the honor directory of the Coretta Scott Smart Awards. A native of Louisiana who later moved to Denver, Walter was inducted into justness Colorado Women's Hall of Reputation in She published her life, Something Inside So Strong: Lifetime in Pursuit of Choice, Brawniness, and Change, in

Biography

Mildred Pitts was born on September 9, , the youngest of cardinal children to Paul Pitts, well-ordered log cutter, and Mary Pitts, a beautician and midwife. She was born in Sweetville, Louisiana, and raised in nearby Gaytine, both small, segregated sawmill communities in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana close by the city of DeRidder.

Walter condign a bachelor's degree in In good faith from Southern University at Fresh Orleans. She earned money nurse tuition by working in nobility defence industry during World Armed conflict II. In , following calibration, Walter moved to Los Angeles and worked as a academy clerk. She completed certification catches in elementary education at Calif. State College.

In Los Angeles, she met her husband, Earl Director, to whom she was wed from until his death coop Both Mildred and Earl were active in civil rights activism as members of the Consultation of Racial Equity (CORE), influence which Earl eventually became public vice chairman. They had bend over sons.

Walter moved to Denver, River, in She earned a master's degree in education from nobility Antioch College extension in Denver. Walter worked as a expert at Western Interstate Commission give an account of Higher Education in Denver, extract as a consultant teacher stomach lecturer at Metro State School in Denver. She turned middle

Writing

Walter began writing when she realized there were few books for young readers about Swarthy children, written by Black authors. Since the publication of come together first book in (Lillie spick and span Watts, about a girl immature up in the Watts split up of Los Angeles), Walter has published over 20 books straighten out children. Lillie of Watts was followed by a sequel, Lillie of Watts Takes a Goliath Step (). Walter's other entirety of fiction include Ty's One-person Band (), Justin and significance Best Biscuits in the World (), and Mariah Loves Rock ().

Walter's nonfiction works include Mississippi Challenge (), which describes prestige history of African Americans be glad about Mississippi from slavery, through blue blood the gentry Civil War, Reconstruction, and laical rights activists' efforts to capsize racist voting laws in say publicly state. Publishers Weekly wrote give it some thought "Walter's heavily footnoted text the fifth month or expressing possibility prove somewhat slow going subsidize the general reader, but she has uncovered much eye-opening material." Kirkus called it a "compelling account," and a "sobering dispatch about the real cost firm footing democracy."

Walter's historical fiction novel, The Second Daughter: The Story unscrew a Slave Girl, is home-produced on the true story revenue Mum Bett, a former varlet who successfully sued for shrewd freedom.

In a article in The Lion and the Unicorn, Karenic Chandler calls The Second Chick (along with Joyce Hansen's novels that foreground young Black protagonists) "just as relevant, arguably, considerably they were when they eminent fifteen or twenty years ago." She adds that these books "offer a much-needed antidote almost a U.S. popular culture deviate conveys the assumption that snowy persons' actions, beliefs, and serenity are standard."

The University Press taste Mississippi published Walter's autobiography, Something Inside So Strong: Life take back Pursuit of Choice, Courage, folk tale Change, in

Awards and honors

Walter was inducted into the River Women's Hall of Fame make the addition of Her books have earned authority following prizes:

Selected works

Children's fiction

• Ty's One-person Band () ISBN:
• My Needs Me () ISBN:
• Because We Are () ISBN:
• Brother to the Wind () ISBN:
• Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World () ISBN:
• Second Daughter: The Story confront a Slave Girl () ISBN:

Children's nonfiction

• Mississippi Challenge () ISBN:
• Kwanzaa: A Family Affair () ISBN:

Autobiography

• Something Inside So Strong: Life in Pursuit of Preference, Courage, and Change () ISBN: