[2] She graduated from McDonogh #35 High School and attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, her father's alma mater, for a BA in English.

[2] She laterbecame a librarian at Bethune-Cookman College, where she met her husband, a musician and educator named James B.

[2] From 1970 to 1989, Borders served as the senior archivist and "pioneer staff member" of the Amistad Research Center before retiring.

[3] Borders co-founded the scholarly journal Chicory Review, which focuses on African-American history and culture.

[5][4] She frequently lectured at events and conferences, and served as research consultant for several films and oral histories.