� Born September 13, 1943, in Jackson, Mississippi, to parents Wilbert and Deletha Taylor
� She has one sister, Wilma
� As a student, she was disturbed by the inaccurate representation of black Americans in history books
� Graduated from University of Toledo (1965) with a bachelor�s degree in education
� Joined the Peace Corps, and taught English and history in Ethiopia (1967-1967)
� While a student at the University of Colorado, she joined the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and helped create a black studies program for the university
� Received a master�s degree in English from University of Colorado (1969)
� In 1971, she moved to Los Angeles, took an editing job, and devoted her evenings to writing
� Her father�s stories about his life in rural Mississippi inspired her to write honestly about black families and their racial struggles
� Wrote the text of her first book, Song of the Trees, in just four days in 1973, which won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, African-American category
� Won the Newbery medal for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1977)
� Received the ALAN Award which honors those who have made outstanding contributions to adolescent literature (1997)
� Won the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature (2003)
� Ms. Taylor�s lives in Colorado
� She is divorced and has one daughter, Portia
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY