Introducing MBoC Voices

I’m writing to introduce a new series of essays in Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) called Voices. In these essays, diverse members of our community, particularly those whose voices have historically been unheard, will raise issues, share experiences, and present perspectives that are important for our broader community to listen to and understand.

In highlighting the need for this new series, I’ll rely on the more eloquent voice of Maya Angelou. In her poem “Caged Bird,” Angelou uses the songs of free and caged birds as metaphors to capture the privilege of the unoppressed and the burdens of the oppressed. An excerpt from this poem appears below:

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

The urgency to publish Voices essays has been underscored by both the recent and long-standing experiences of our Black colleagues. For too long, they and many other members of our cell biology community have been oppressed by racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism. Many of these experiences have not been understood or addressed by the community at large. At MBoC, we aim to amplify these voices so they will be heard “on the distant hill.”

The credit for this idea goes to our first Voices author, Christina Termini, whose essay appears in this issue of MBoC, and to Associate Editor Valerie Weaver. Valerie was approached by Christina with the proposal to write an essay for MBoC that would articulate her perspective as an underrepresented minority scientist and postdoctoral trainee. Valerie in turn contacted former MBoC Editor-in-Chief David Drubin and me with this inspired suggestion. Christina and Valerie felt that, while senior scientists’ voices are more often heard, the voices of many younger scientists, particularly from historically excluded groups, are often not considered or valued. Valerie proposed a “Voices from the Community” series, and we’ve decided to shorten the name to the simple word “Voices.”

We now invite members of our community to contribute a Voices essay by writing about your experiences and perspectives as trainees and scientists, covering topics that you feel are important to share with the broader community of cell biologists. All voices are welcome, and we especially encourage contributions from students, postdocs, and early-career faculty, as well as from Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Pacific Islander, Asian, abled/disabled, and LGBTQIA+ writers.

I believe the Voices essays will make MBoC a more vibrant platform for cell biologists to publish work that simultaneously advances the diverse community of cell biologists and advances knowledge in cell biology.