(Dis)Covering routes

(Dis)Covering Routes” is a reflective podcast and blog entry by Tiffany Lachelle Smith, featured in the SPARK eZine’s April 5, 2021 issue. Centered on her experience as a Black educator returning to the U.S. from Dubai amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it chronicles her emotional and physical journey through multiple layovers—from Dubai to St. Louis—highlighting her introspection on racial unrest, identity, and belonging. As she traverses airports and countries, Smith contemplates her decision to leave, prompting broader questions about whether Black teachers feel compelled to emigrate and the systemic factors fueling such decisions. Framed as part of a broader dialogue in SPARK on the exodus of Black teachers, the piece combines personal memoir with critical analysis of the institutional and societal pressures faced by educators of color. Beyond the podcast, the eZine issue features inventive scholarship from graduate researchers, like Teresa McCarrell’s science-focused graphic comic, illustrating SPARK’s commitment to showcasing BIPOC voices, creative research, and decolonial knowledge production. Through Smith’s first-person narrative, “(Dis)Covering Routes” navigates the nuances of race, transnational mobility, and academic belonging—revealing the emotional terrain beneath global migration while advocating for systemic support and solidarity among Black educators.