HuffPost

Whether you missed out on reading some classic novels in high school or are getting caught up on books you missed a few years ago, everyone should read these books by Black authors.Historically, a lot of literature taught in schools is written by white — and, typically, white male — authors.

So although you may remember reading books like “The Great Gatsby” and “To Kill A Mockingbird” in school, you may have missed out on many classics by Black authors like Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and “The Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man” by James Weldon Johnson.

The book industry still has a long way to go to become more inclusive, but there are so many stories you can add to your to-read list from Black authors that are considered modern classics, like “The Mothers” by Brit Bennett.

Here are the 16 books our experts recommended:

"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead

Amazon

"The Underground Railroad" is one of Goodreads'

most popular “new classics" byBlack authors.

"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson

Amazon

"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" is one of

Goodreads' most popular classic books now.