This week’s edition of Slow Digest was written by C21 Graduate Fellow Yuchen Zhao.
This edition of Slow Digest delves into the concept of slow violence, a term coined by Rob Nixon to describe the gradual, and often invisible forms of environmental harm that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Unlike immediate disasters, slow violence unfolds over years or even generations, making it harder to recognize, address, or resist.
To better understand the ways environmental degradation intersects with race, justice, and activism, we’re highlighting three powerful resources. These works challenge us to rethink the pace at which injustice occurs—and the urgency required to confront it. Keep reading to explore how slow violence manifests and how communities are pushing back.
Rob Nixon, Slow Violence
In this powerful work, Rob Nixon introduces “slow violence”—a form of environmental harm that occurs gradually and out of sight, disproportionately affecting the world’s most vulnerable communities. By focusing on underreported environmental crises and the resilience of marginalized communities, Nixon calls attention to the injustices of climate change, deforestation, toxic waste, and other environmental hazards. This book challenges readers to recognize and address these hidden forms of violence, advocating for a more equitable and inclusive environmentalism.
Nixon, Rob. Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor / Rob Nixon. 1st ed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2011. doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674061194.
Climates of Inequality
Climates of Inequality is a project of the Humanities Action Lab, a coalition of universities led by Rutgers University-Newark, working with issue organizations and public spaces to create traveling public projects on the past, present, and future of pressing social issues.
Environmental injustice is not just about pollution—it’s about power, history, and the communities most impacted by climate change. Climates of Inequality: Stories of Environmental Justice is a collaborative project that amplifies the voices of frontline communities fighting for climate justice. Developed by a network of universities, organizations, and activists, this initiative sheds light on the deep-rooted social and racial inequalities that shape environmental crises.
By engaging with community-led storytelling, Climates of Inequality encourages us to slow down and listen—to understand how histories of displacement, industrial exploitation, and environmental racism continue to shape today’s landscapes. These stories are not just about loss but about resistance, resilience, and the power of collective action. By resisting the demand for immediate, top-down solutions, Climates of Inequality shows that climate justice requires historical awareness, community-driven action, and a commitment to learning from those who have long been fighting these battles. It embodies the essence of slow knowing—the idea that understanding complex issues takes time, care, and deep engagement.
PBS, Generation Rising, “Racial Environmental Justice”
Environmental justice isn’t just about policy changes—it’s about the lived experiences of communities fighting for their right to clean air, water, and land. Generation Rising, “Racial Environmental Justice” highlights the new generation of activists confronting systemic environmental racism, showing how grassroots movements are reclaiming their futures.
This documentary embodies slow knowing by centering community wisdom and long-term, place-based struggles. Instead of quick fixes, it reveals how meaningful change comes from deep historical understanding, intergenerational knowledge-sharing, and persistent local action.
As we navigate the climate crisis, Generation Rising reminds us that environmental justice isn’t just a science or policy issue—it’s a social and racial justice issue. By slowing down to listen to those most affected, we can rethink how we approach sustainability and equity.