Born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Major lived a transient childhood while following his father (who was in the military) to various destinations across the United States. After high school, Major attended Richard Stockton College, in Pomona, New Jersey, From Richard Stockton, he received a degree in Literature and a teaching certificate in African- American Studies. After college, he began teaching elementary and middle school in Newark, New Jersey. Major began writing his first novel in 1998.