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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.
Luck Has Everything To Do With It
I consider myself lucky because I had a great advisor who I consider a friend. She was unpolitical and would tell me straight up, "If you want this you should go ask for this person," and "This person is horrible to work for." She was the type of person who had my best interest at heart. Once I told her, "I don't think I can do this anymore," and she said "Okay, how do we get you a job you like?" She was very accepting and supportive.