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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.
Diane Ellison's Experiences
I worked in the audit division of an international finance company for 5 years. There was very little work-life balance and very little expectation of it.
I consider myself lucky because I had a great advisor who I consider a friend. She was unpolitical and would tell me straight up, "If you want this you should go ask for this person," and "This person is horrible to work for.
The top and even mid-level performers worked all the time. Their primary social network was composed of people from work.
There was a sort of admiration for women who were nasty ball breakers, i.e., women who would be highly successful and willing to sacrifice family and social obligations.
The firm employed an "up or out" policy and people were definitely pushed out. They did a massive hiring when the dot.
The firm I worked at received a diversity award from Fortune Magazine as one of the top places to work.