Statement of and Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

graphic with sun shinging through trees with text: we have a responsibility to amplify all voices. We believe that telling the truth can change the world.

 

At Hippocampus Magazine, our mission is to empower writers to tell true stories. We do it because we love it — and because we believe that telling the truth can change the world.

We believe that the systems that make up our society are designed to unfairly distribute privilege and pain. We acknowledge that, as part of the literary community, we have a responsibility to amplify all voices, to confront our own implicit bias, and to do the work, however difficult or imperfect, of being an equitable and just publication.

To that end, Hippocampus Magazine pledges to:

  • carefully examine our submission review practices through a justice and equity lens
  • address diversity and inclusion amongst our editorial staff, readers, and conference presenters
  • lift up and amplify the voices of BIPOC writers through our monthly issues, columns, and books
  • prioritize stories that encompass the totality of human experience, not just the human experience we can personally relate to
  • regularly compensate authors for their labor and examine the ways in which our honoraria structure can be more fair and equitable for all contributors

We stand with you. We believe in your truth, no matter what it is. We promise to do better, every day.

 

This statement of diversity was inspired by our We Stand With You blog post, shared on 6/9/2020; we felt an official, permanent statement of equity and inclusion belonged on our website.