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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.
Bozo the Clown got past security; I had to show I.D.
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Telecommunications
- Computers, Hardware
- Company Response
- Fitting In
- Mistaken Identity
- Personal Response
- Stereotyping
- Tip
On Halloween, I was walking into the headquarters office. I didn't have a costume on, but there were two people in costume who walked in before me. They just strolled right in. Here I am, in my suit with my briefcase, looking like I belong there, and I am wearing my badge, but it is flipped around. The security guard stands up on his chair and starts yelling at me, "I need to see your ID." I work in the building. He sees me every single day. But he needed to see my ID even though Bozo the Clown could walk right though. I was pissed off about that. I talked to people about that and we changed security companies and made sure they had some training.