Browse Stories
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.
Stop the Cycle
I was responsible for matching employees with clients to ensure they would work well together. I felt that having more diverse groups of people would increase the chances that someone would resonate with the client. However, most often the usual suspects - three white men - would work directly with the clients. They would be chosen because they had previous experience and success. So naturally they would go and get more experience and success. It was a cycle that made it nearly impossible for anyone else to get in.