[MattGrommes]

Because diversity of thought is important. You're missing a lot if you only read books by people with similar views and experiences. For example, if you're a white man and you ask all your white male friends for book recommendations, you're going to end up with a pretty homogeneous list.

[engi_nerd]

Boy, you sure don't think highly of my friends.

Diversity of THOUGHT is important, but how is that directly correlated to skin color?

[MattGrommes]

People with different skin color have vastly different life experiences which leads to diversity of thought.

[ar-jan]

And why would the people making this list have to provide that diversity? Either they want to on their own, without anyone telling them, or the reader of the list can go looking for it themselves. Note, I'm in favor of all kinds of diversity, but I disagree when people start telling other (groups of) people what they should do.