Mildred Pitts Walter, whose books for children and young adults brought Black characters to life, has died at 103, The New York Times reports.
Walter, a Louisiana native, was educated at Southern University in Baton Rouge. She worked as a kindergarten teacher in South Central Los Angeles, where she had trouble finding books for young readers that featured Black characters. She made her literary debut in 1969 with the children’s book Lillie of Watts: A Birthday Discovery, illustrated by Leonora E. Prince. She brought the title character back two years later with Lillie of Watts Takes a Giant Step, illustrated by Bonnie Helene Johnson.
Her other children’s books include Ty’s One-Man Band, illustrated by Margot Tomes; My Mama Needs Me, illustrated by Pat Cummings; and Ray and the Best Family Reunion Ever. She won the Coretta Scott King Award for her 1986 book Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World, illustrated by Catherine Stock. In 2019, she published an autobiography, Something Inside So Strong: Life in Pursuit of Choice, Courage, and Change.
Illustrator Cummings paid tribute to Walter, telling Publishers Weekly, “Mildred was a prolific writer, a perfectionist about the language she used, and a masterful storyteller. Her empathy for the complexity and purity of a child’s emotions provided such a wide and nuanced visual palette to work with.”
And Lin Oliver, co-founder of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, said, in a remembrance on the organization’s website, “As an author, she was a pioneer in writing stories for and about black children in everyday modern life, not as historical figures. Her books changed the course of children’s literature.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
