'Must-read for all of humanity': Oprah Winfrey continues race conversation with 'Caste' author Isabel Wilkerson

Oprah Winfrey continues her dialogue on race and is going in-depth with her latest Oprah's Book Club selection, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," by Isabel Wilkerson. In addition to her speaking with the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian on this week’s "Oprah's Book Club" on Apple TV+, Winfrey is continuing the conversation with Wilkerson in a two-part episode for “The Oprah Conversation” to premiere Oct. 9.

“Caste,” considered by Winfrey to be her most important book club selections ever, according to a statement from Apple TV+, draws parallels between the caste systems of America, India and Nazi Germany and takes an in-depth look at the treatment of Black people in the United States historically and an "unspoken caste system" that has shaped the America of today.

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In the introduction of the episode, Winfrey calls the book “One of the most profound and important books I have ever read and I have been reading since I was 5 years old. I think it is an absolute must-read for all of humanity, and by humanity I am talking about people who care about our humanity. And I think this will be a real catalyst actually for a real awakening.”

In addition to “Oprah’s Book Club,” which is free to everyone, Winfrey is continuing her dialogue with Wilkerson in a two-part episode of her Apple+ series “The Oprah Conversation,” which is available to subscribers. Previous guests on "The Oprah Conversation" include Ibram X. Kendi, Bryan Stevenson, Emmanuel Acho and Mariah Carey.

The first episode of “The Oprah Conversation” features Winfrey and Wilkerson, along with a panel of readers, discussing the concept that America is built on a caste system. The second has readers sharing stories of how Wilkerson’s books resonates with their life and experiences.

In addition to both shows, Winfrey's just finished hosting a new podcast series for "Oprah's Book Club." The eight-episode podcast focuses on the eight ideological pillars Wilkerson identified in the book that underlie all caste systems.

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In addition to her conversations with Wilkerson, Winfrey has been outspoken on systemic racism. She hosted her own town hall on racism in June on OWN's “Where Do We Go From Here?” with guests including Stacey Abrams, Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo.

Winfrey’s “O Magazine” erected 26 billboards in Louisville, Kentucky, this summer featuring Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot in her apartment by police who entered her home on a "no-knock" warrant March 13. The magazine also featured Taylor on the cover of the September issue, the first cover in the magazine's 20 year history that did not feature Winfrey.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oprah Winfrey talks with 'Caste' author Isabel Wilkerson about racism