The SPARK Mission

The SPARK eZine was created to amplify the research, experiences, and voices of graduate researchers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC).

Stories in SPARK stimulate new ways of making academic scholarship relevant to our communities and beyond. Collectively, research stories published in SPARK illuminate the multifaceted ways COSP Scholars are transforming what scholarship looks like, how knowledge is produced, and for whom scholarship is directed.

Initiated by the COSP Writing Initiative in 2020 and led by the SPARK Editorial Board, SPARK is committed to developing BIPOC writers through a collaborative approach to publishing research. The editorial process is intent on not reproducing the systemic violence(s) often encountered by writers who come from underrepresented identities in predominantly white academic institutions. The SPARK Editorial Board holds a fierce respect for the writers’ intentions, and the integrity of ideas, experiences, and creative form each writer brings to the community.