Belinda Tucker came to the University of Michigan in 1971 as a graduate student in social psychology. Coming out of the turbulent 1960s, she was drawn to the program by its demonstrated commitment to diversity and to addressing societal ills (which seemed monumental at the time). She was especially attracted by its welcoming faculty, including Pat Gurin, Elizabeth Douvan, and Ewart Thomas, and the strong sense of community among the students. As luck would have it, James Jackson was hired as a new professor that very year. And the rest, shall we say, is history.