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Vote on Desiree Davidson's Story
Were they afraid we were planning a coup d'etat?
I spent my first summer during Columbia Law School at a firm in Philadelphia described as one of the best places in the city for black lawyers. I believed that if there was any place where I would have an equal chance at opportunities, be treated fairly and succeed, this would be it. There were three black female summer associates out of sixty that year but any time all three of us were in an office talking, one of the partners would knock on the door to see how we were doing. It happened too often to be a coincidence that sometimes we would purposely agree to meet in so-and-so's office to test our theory that we were being monitored. Like clock work, ten minutes after we would get together a partner would stop by.
Sandi Tucker's Experiences
I was spotted kissing my then-girlfriend goodbye in the car when she dropped me off for work one morning.
I wasn't cautious enough and was "caught" so I came out. Then some company employees harassed me. I got everything from the men asking, "Can I watch?" to unwanted advances like, "You need a real man.