Mildred Delois Taylor (born in Jackson, Mississippi on September 13, 1943) is an author famous for her children’s fiction stories.

She did not stay in Jackson long; the racial discrimination in the South influenced the belief of her father, Wilbert Taylor, that better opportunities awaited his family in more northern states. Thus, after her first three months of life, her family moved to Ohio after her father established a factory in Toledo, Ohio. This move got her extended family to thinking about going North as well; it ended up that Mildred D. Taylor grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins.

But Mr. Taylor still had a love for his old home, so there were several trips to the relatives that had stayed in the South. Many stories of the family history and actual childhoods were told during those visits, and were the core inspiration for Mildred Taylor’s stories and books.

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