Mildred Pitts Walter, an American writer whose children’s books often featured African-American protagonists, died on June 2, 2026, at age 103.
Born Mildred Pitts on September 9, 1922, in Sweetville, Louisiana, she grew up in nearby Gaytine in Beauregard Parish. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern University at New Orleans and paid tuition by working in the defense industry during World War II.
After graduating in 1944, she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked as a school clerk and later completed certification in elementary education at California State College. Walter wrote more than 20 books for young readers, in both fiction and nonfiction, and several were honored by the Coretta Scott King Awards.