The first stop on Tiffany Stevenson’s stroll down memory lane is Room 328 of the library, then home to the African American studies department.
And mom.
"My mother was the academic librarian there for over 20 years, so I literally grew up in that mini-office suite crowded with books, maps, periodicals and artifacts that could rival the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture," says Sephora's vice president for diversity and inclusion.
“I recall this as the hub for so many students doing research for term papers and pursuing their doctoral degrees — including many of my first crushes.
"I remember making my signature contribution to the collection — a file of periodicals on the Divine 9 historically African American sororities and fraternities, that prospective initiates would coyly ask for as ‘the folder’ to minimize suspicion.
“Though I was frequently embarrassed that my academic tenure overlapped with my mom’s, looking back, it was a very special time to be her wingman and surrounded by rich history.”
