Terry McMillan

Literature

b. 1951

California Connection

• Attended UC Berkeley and has resided in California since 1992

Achievements

Biography current as of induction in 2026

Terry McMillan is an acclaimed author whose powerful storytelling centers Black experiences and elevates women’s voices. Reaching millions through bestsellers such as Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, she has reshaped contemporary fiction with honesty, warmth, and wit. 

Born and raised in Port Huron, Michigan, McMillan discovered her love of literature as a teenager while shelving books at the local library. Studying journalism at UC Berkeley, she immersed herself in African American literature and began writing short stories exploring the nuances of relationships and Black life in America. She published her first short story, “The End,” as a student in 1976.  

In 1987, McMillan burst onto the literary scene with her wildly acclaimed debut novel, Mama, which won the Doubleday New Voices in Fiction award and the American Book Award. Her second novel, Disappearing Acts (1989), was later adapted into an HBO film starring Sanaa Lathan. During her tenure as a professor at the University of Arizona, McMillan wrote her beloved tale of four friends navigating love and life, Waiting to Exhale (1992), which topped the New York Times bestseller list and became a major motion picture starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. The hit film earned seven Grammy Awards and an MTV Movie Award, cementing the story as a cultural touchstone.

McMillan followed with more bestsellers, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1996), adapted into a major motion picture starring Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs; A Day Late and a Dollar Short (2001), adapted into a Lifetime original movie starring Whoopi Goldberg; and I Almost Forgot About You (2016), in development at Universal Pictures as a feature film starring Viola Davis. McMillan’s most recent novel, It’s Not All Downhill From Here (2020), was followed in 2025 by It Was the Way She Said It, a collection of short fiction and nonfiction featuring both previously-published and never-before-seen works from her unpublished archives. Since its 2024 launch, Lifetime’s Terry McMillan Presents has developed a series of original made-for-television movies executive-produced by McMillan, with additional films slated for release in 2026.

All of McMillan’s novels have debuted as New York Times bestsellers, selling millions of copies worldwide and earning her a devoted following. Her success has reshaped American publishing, prompting greater investment in contemporary Black authors and editors and expanding the voices represented in mainstream fiction. In recognition of her contributions to literature, she received the NAACP Image Award and ESSENCE magazine Lifetime Achievement Award.  

View more inductees from the 19th class, inducted in 2026.