Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Award History
| Award | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|
| National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction | 2020 | Shortlist |
| Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction | 2020 | Shortlist |
About This Book
Isabel Wilkerson argues that America's racial hierarchy constitutes a caste system comparable to those in India and Nazi Germany, structured by eight pillars including divine will, endogamy, and purity. Drawing on historical research and contemporary reporting, she makes the case for dismantling a system she sees as foundational to American life. A finalist for the NBCC Award for Nonfiction.
About the Author
Isabel Wilkerson is an American journalist and author widely regarded as one of the most important nonfiction writers of her generation. She was the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in journalism, earning the award in 1994 for Feature Writing while serving as Chicago Bureau Chief for The New York Times. Her debut book, The Warmth of Other Suns (2010), took fifteen years to research and write, documenting the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North and West between 1915 and 1970 through the stories of three individuals. Read more →
Similar Award-Winning Books
- Honor
Victory Stand
