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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.
I got charged with discrimination
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Telecommunications
- Left & is now a Small Business Entrepreneur
- Personal Care & Service
- Diverse Workforce
- Double Standards
- Exclusion
- Fitting In
- Role Reversal
The one time I almost lost my job was a time I had a group of people I had hired and the majority of people I hired were minorities. The vice president gave me the job and told me to hire my staff and I did. Most of the people were people I had known through my career or people had recommended to me for the specific skills I needed. I was very pleased with the group. Along the way, I got charged with discrimination by one of the white males that I had on staff. It was out of the blue. I had no clue where that was coming from. This man had never been in an environment where he had been a minority. He was uncomfortable because a conversation could go on in this group he could not relate to. And from his perspective when his views weren't accepted totally, then the views were against him. I'm used to being in those situations. I've been in those situations my whole life.