A new book by University of New Mexico Sociology Professor Ranita Ray examines the presence of bias and harm in American classrooms. The book, titled “Slow Violence: Confronting Dark Truths in the American Classroom,” is based on a three-year study following students from fourth through sixth grade and their teachers in Las Vegas, Nevada, one of the country’s largest majority-minority school districts.
Ray initially set out to research the effects of budget cuts and resource shortages in public schools but found more serious issues once her study began in 2017. She observed patterns of what she calls “slow violence,” a term commonly used in environmental studies to describe hidden and gradual harm.
“It took me months, if not years, to actually give words to what I was finding, which is a tremendous amount of cruelty and indifference – what I call slow violence,” Ray said. “Slow Violence, a concept common in environmental studies, is a type of violence that isusually not talked about: hidden and gradual. Inside schools, it is perpetrated against children by adults charged with theircare— racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, anti-fatness, among others, were all regular occurrences.”
“It took me months, if not years, to actually give words to what I was finding, which is a tremendous amount of cruelty in what I call slow violence,” Ray said. “Slow Violence is usually not talked about, hidden, gradual, that adults inside schools, who are charged with their care, were inflicting on children, such as racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, anti-fatness, among others.”
Ray presented her findings at various universities and received mixed responses. Some attendees shared similar experiences or said they had witnessed these problems as teachers; others doubted whether such stories should be published because they seemed too harsh.
“Doing these talks led me to believe that this needs to be in the public discourse in a much bigger way than I had initially anticipated,” she said. “I hope my book will start this conversation, even if slowly, as awkward and difficult as it is.”
Ray hopes her work reassures children that they are not alone and encourages them to question authority when necessary. She acknowledges the challenges teachers face but urges them to remain aware of their influence.
“Often we make remarks and we don’t even understand what stays with children and what it means,” she said. “We need to be more vigilant of the type of power we have over children; we need to take them seriously.”
The book was released in August and has attracted significant attention. Reviews note its challenging content; some critics say it offers no clear solutions. Ray responds by calling for accountability among educators and parents alike.
“I think of this book as a personal intervention for all educators,” she said.
“Slow Violence: Confronting Dark Truths in the American Classroom” can be purchased online or at local bookstores such as Books on the Bosque or through online retailers including Bookshop.
