Mildred Delois Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi on September 13th, 1943 to Wilbert Lee and Deletha Marie Davis Taylor. When Taylor was 3 months old her parents moved her and her sister Wilma to the North in Toledo, Ohio. Growing up Taylor visited the South and was told stories of her fathers childhood in the South.
Taylor graduate from Scott High School in 1961 and the University of Toledo in 1965. After her college graduation she joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Ethiopia working as an English and History teacher. After the Peace Corps she enrolled in the University of Colorado to earn her master's degree.
In 1971 Taylor moved to Los Angeles to start her career in writting. The first book she created was Song of the Trees, which she entered in the Council on Interracial Books for Children competition. The bookwas published in 1975 and was named New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year 1975 and 1976 Children's Book Showcase book. Taylor's next book would include characters from her first book, Cassie Logan and her three brothers. The book was titled Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry which won the 1977 Newberry Medal and was a nominee for the 1977 National Book Award. The story of this book would later be produced as a three-part television miniseries which was broadcasted by ABC in 1978. Taylor has continued to write about the Logans in her books. Her latest work is The Land which is a prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. She now resides in Colorado.