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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.
Early Morning Phone Calls Before Dawn
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- Caucasian
- Banking - Investment
- Non-Profit
- Social Networks
- Worklife Balance
The top and even mid-level performers worked all the time. Their primary social network was composed of people from work. Then there were the embittered wives you would talk to when you had to call the project manager at 2:00 a.m. at home. I once called the home of a project manager and his wife replied, "Oh, he's been waiting for your call." It was so awkward, I replied, "Can I just please talk to him?"