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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.
You think I'm going to knock you out?
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Telecommunications
- Computers, Hardware
- Body Language
- Fitting In
- Stereotyping
I was presenting at a meeting. I'm a loud person and I was presenting in a large room, I increased my volume. They asked if I wanted a microphone. I asked, "Do I need a microphone?" The person in the back of the room said no. So I started to present. I talked loud and used my hands. I made this motion and a white woman at my table cringed. I thought, "What? You think I'm a gang-banger? You think I'm going to knock you out?" But I didn't say that to her. I said to her, "Is there a problem?" She said, "Oh, you startled me." No matter what you are doing, no matter what you are presenting, there is always this underlying fear that you might be dangerous.