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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.
Many of us are first generation in the business world
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Computers, Software
- Education
- Assignments
- Class
- Low Expectations
- Social Networks
- Underutilized
- Undervalued
I joined the technology company in the mid-80s. They wanted to be become a market-driven company, rather than an engineering-driven company. They recruited me because I had been at a large competitor and had been quite successful. However, within one year of bringing me in, they changed their minds. The assignments I was given were a real waste of my background. They had me developing data sheets rather than advertising campaigns. I thought to myself, "I'll do my data sheets. I'll pay my penance." But a lot of people were leaving. That doesn't have to do with race or gender. I would say that was business. But we don't always know that because we don't grow up learning about this stuff in daddy's study or at mommy's tea parties. Many of us are first generation in the business world.