21 books Barack Obama says you should read if you want to become an authority on race relations in the US

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Former President Barack Obama recommended many books during his two-term presidency.

• Black History Month is an appropriate time to reflect on our country's racial past in order to improve its future.
• For example, the wealth gap between the median black and white families persists, and has even increased $54,000 since 1992, a 2019 McKinsey report found.
• President Barack Obama, who made important civil rights changes during his presidency, has recommended dozens of books since he took office, many of which deal directly with race.
• Here are 23 Obama-recommended books, from Ta-Nehisi Coates's "Between the World and Me" to works by Toni Morrison, that will help you better understand race in the US.
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Black History Month is an appropriate time to reflect on race in the US. And there's a lot to think about.

Though 150 years have passed since the abolition of slavery in the US, its effects are far from gone. Years of redlining and unfair housing practices have left many US cities segregated. The wealth gap between middle class black and white families (a product, in part, of years of discriminatory education and employment practices) remains. In fact, as Business Insider previously reported, the wealth gap has increased by $54,000 since 1992, a 2019 McKinsey report found.

As for where the country is headed, some 58% of Americans say race relations in the US are "bad," and few see them improving, according to 2019 Pew Center research. Just under 50% of white Americans, and 73% of black Americans, said President Trump has made race relations worse, that same survey found.

How do we begin to unpack and understand the country's history, in order to improve its future? President Barack Obama, who achieved notable progress concerning criminal justice reform, recommended dozens of books throughout, and since, his presidency.

Business Insider culled through his top picks and found 21 titles that deal directly with race relations.