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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.
Rasha Jadellah's Experiences
Growing up in the South, I learned how to be a chameleon. I almost went too far the other way, always fitting in. Religion wasn't an issue for me in the workplace, because my family comes from a Christian background.
One of the things I have been trying to make sure of is that Arab-American doesn't always mean Muslim-American. There are times when I am in a situation with a person I am getting to know, I can almost see the relief when they find out that I am a Christian and I was born in the United States.
The stereotyping I have experienced wasn't in the workplace, but at work-related events, where there is a Southern, white boy network. If I'm at a party or an event and I'm in the room with a lot of white businessmen, they see my curly hair and they know something is different.