DOWN Magazine stands for “Defining Our World Now”. DOWN was founded in 2015 by two Yale College students of color in response to acts of racism on campus coupled with the reality of an overwhelmingly white and journalistic campus publishing landscape. The launch of DOWN was covered in national publications such as The Fader and Nylon Magazine. In its early years, DOWN published a smattering of works from statements of racial solidarity to local reporting to personal prose and literature. Over the years, DOWN became increasingly focused on literature, and arts and ceased publishing journalism in favor of cultural commentary. Though there was at least once a printed version of DOWN, DOWN quickly became a “webzine”, posting pieces on a blog-style interface a few times per semester.
DOWN is a student publication registered with the Yale College Dean’s Office. DOWN Magazine is published by Yale College students, and Yale University is not responsible for its contents. All opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of DOWN Magazine or Yale University.