5 essential books that broke racial barriers

Seventy-five years later, Native Son is still iconic

Richard Wright's novel, which was published on March 1, 1940, was a groundbreaking work about racial identity. It tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a young, poor African-American man living in Chicago, who accidentally kills a white woman. It was the first best-selling novel by a black American author and greatly impacted the way America discussed race.

See also: 9 groundbreaking black poets who revolutionized the written word

In honor of this important book's anniversary, let's take a look at five other iconic books throughout history that tackle racial identity. Read more...

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