A Voice in the Wilderness

Why understanding evolutionthe most reviled branch of sciencecan help us all, from fighting pandemics to undoing racismEvolutionary science has long been regarded as conservative, a tool for enforcing regressive ideas, particularly about race and gender. But in A Voice in the Wilderness, evolutionary biologist Joseph L. Graves Jr.once styled as the Black Darwinargues that his field is essential to social justice. He shows, for example, why biological races do not exist. He dismantles recent work in human biodiversity seeking genes to explain the achievements of different ethnic groups. He decimates homophobia, sexism, and classism as well.As a pioneering Black biologist, a leftist, and a Christian, Graves uses his personal storyhis journey from a child of Jim Crow to a major researcher and leader of his peersto rewrite his field. A Voice in the Wilderness is a...