A Voice in the Wilderness

Evolution has, ever since its inception, been one of the most ideologically fraught fields in all of science. It has given birth to the myth about biological racial types, with distinct rankings of genetic superiority . Evolution has always been mistrusted by religious fundamentalists, contributing to a rise in creationist education that dovetails with the mass scientific illiteracy we see today. And today the coronavirus is mutating into ever more dangerous strands because huge swaths of the population have rejected the science that predicted this outcome if people remained unvaccinated. With so much fear and misunderstanding, it is crucial to set the record straight. Enter evolutionary biologist Joseph Graves. In A Voice in the Wilderness, he makes the case that widespread understanding of evolution is crucial to solving all these problems. Graves shows how the science of evolution can lead us to new paths of achieving social unity. He refutes common, pseudoscientific misconceptions that undergird racism, homophobia, sexism, classism, and more all issues on which many perceive evolutionary biology to be a reactionary force. He shows how evolution can either make pandemics better, or if its lessons are unheeded worse. And he tackles the political and religious objections to the study of evolution as well. Graves' own experience powers much of the narrative. As a pioneering Black biologist, a leftist, and a Christian, Graves uses his personal story from a child of the Jim Crow south to a major researcher leader in his field to rewrite his field and show how it can be a force not for reaction, but for justice. Provocative and timely, A Voice in the Wilderness is at once a powerful work of scientific antiracism and a moving history of a trailblazing life.

“"By interleaving the personal, political, and scientific, Graves shows that scientific discoveries are inseparable from the social insights that led to them... Graves harnesses evolutionary theory to argue that the complexities of multilevel selection make the pursuit of justice 'our only hope, not just because it is morally right and long overdue but because without it our species will die.' This is no polemical conclusion but one borne out by all that Graves has shown, in his work in biology and in his own life." -- Adam R. Shapiro , Science Magazine”

"By interleaving the personal, political, and scientific, Graves shows that scientific discoveries are inseparable from the social insights that led to them... Graves harnesses evolutionary theory to argue that the complexities of multilevel selection make the pursuit of justice 'our only hope, not just because it is morally right and long overdue but because without it our species will die.' This is no polemical conclusion but one borne out by all that Graves has shown, in his work in biology and in his own life." --Adam R. Shapiro, Science Magazine
"... a forceful narrative that is simultaneously autobiographical and scientific. Graves refuses to mask the political and experiential realities of the U.S., authentically narrating a life wherein robust methodical and theoretical approaches in evolutionary biology can, and should, be entangled with the struggle for social justice... This is an engaging book with a lot of cool science."
--Agustín Fuentes, Scientific American

"Convincing arguments against scientific racism from an acclaimed researcher and scholar."

--Kirkus
"A Voice in the Wilderness is a stirring biography, the tale of a pioneer who overcame obstacles, broke barriers, and spoke truth to power using a most unusual tool--the theory of Darwinian Evolution. This is an inspiring story about perseverance that's essential reading for those searching for how to transform scientific mastery into an instrument for social good."--C. Brandon Ogbunu, Yale University
"In this fascinating book, equal parts biography and scientific argument, Graves shows that evolutionary biology is central to making sense of, well, everything. A must-read."--Rob Dunn, author of A Natural History of the Future
"Science--especially evolutionary science--needs diverse, beautiful minds. This uniquely powerful book shows us exactly why."
--Holly Dunsworth, University of Rhode Island

Joseph L. Graves Jr. is a professor of biological sciences in the department of biology at North Carolina A&T State University. He is the first African American to receive a PhD in evolutionary biology. Graves was elected a Fellow of the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1994. He is an associate director of the Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine and has been recently added to the board of the National Center for Science Education, with his term beginning in April 2021. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Evolution has, ever since its inception, been one of the most ideologically fraught fields in all of science. It has given birth to the myth about biological racial types, with distinct rankings of genetic superiority . Evolution has always been mistrusted by religious fundamentalists, contributing to a rise in creationist education that dovetails with the mass scientific illiteracy we see today. And today the coronavirus is mutating into ever more dangerous strands because huge swaths of the population have rejected the science that predicted this outcome if people remained unvaccinated. With so much fear and misunderstanding, it is crucial to set the record straight. Enter evolutionary biologist Joseph Graves. In A Voice in the Wilderness, he makes the case that widespread understanding of evolution is crucial to solving all these problems. Graves shows how the science of evolution can lead us to new paths of achieving social unity. He refutes common, pseudoscientific misconceptions that undergird racism, homophobia, sexism, classism, and more all issues on which many perceive evolutionary biology to be a reactionary force. He shows how evolution can either make pandemics better, or if its lessons are unheeded worse. And he tackles the political and religious objections to the study of evolution as well. Graves' own experience powers much of the narrative. As a pioneering Black biologist, a leftist, and a Christian, Graves uses his personal story from a child of the Jim Crow south to a major researcher leader in his field to rewrite his field and show how it can be a force not for reaction, but for justice. Provocative and timely, A Voice in the Wilderness is at once a powerful work of scientific antiracism and a moving history of a trailblazing life.

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