DOWN Magazine was created in the Spring of 2015 to be a space for writers of color to generate and disseminate work of all genres, from long-form nonfiction narrative to fiction, poetry, art, investigative journalism, and more. It was, and continues to be, a much needed space online and on campus for writers of color to thrive. Before DOWN, writers of color had no place on campus to be heard and, while other publications may be growing in this regard, DOWN remains a critical publication on Yale’s campus. As students and people of color, we are able to speak on our communities, from our unique perspectives. We truly get to define our world now, in our own words without being ignored, spoken over, or tokenized. We are a space for writers and other creatives of color to be holistically themselves, no matter what. We have ties to all of the cultural centers and, as a result, are able to tap into many different resources and opportunities. Over the years, DOWN has observed and reported on many important occurrences in our communities. From the renaming of FKA Calhoun College to the college admissions scandal, and everything in between, DOWN has been there.
We hope DOWN continues to be a space for writers of color to feel comfortable writing, learning, and growing in their chosen media. Over the years DOWN has grown to reflect the students of color on the campus we inhabit. This means that DOWN has fluctuated and is ever changing, as we should, to reflect the needs of students of color on campus. The beauty of DOWN is that there is no rigid structure – everyone is welcome, whenever and wherever they are, and we hope this continues to be the case. DOWN is a community first and foremost, and it is through this community that we are able to have joy in our collective struggles, create joy, and have difficult conversations.
As former editors and board members we firmly believe in the generative intellectual, political, and creative intimacies that arise from having a space solely dedicated to writers of color, first-generation and/or low-income students, and queer folks. This history is important and we hope it is not lost in the years to come. DOWN is more than a publication that simply churns out work. It is a collective that believes in providing opportunities unlike those of any other publication by dedicating our space to writers of color. We are young, and have much growing to do, and we hope that the years after us take this as an imperative to help DOWN continue to grow, evolve, and thrive.
With love,
Arturo Pineda ‘19, Editor-in-Chief 2017-2018
Azaria King ‘20, Editor-in-Chief 2018-2020
Emily Almendarez ‘20, Editor 2017-2018
Minh Vu ‘20, Editor 2017-2018
