Race Matters is a social sciences book by Cornel West. The book was first published on March 29, 1994, in the English by Vintage Books. The book analyzes moral authority and racial debates concerning skin color in the United States. The book questions matters of economics and politics, as well as ethical issues and spirituality, and also addresses the crisis in black leadership. West's collection of moral essays on race relations in America was one of Publishers Weekly best-sellers for one week.