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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.
One Little Box
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical
- Mistaken Identity
- Stereotyping
I've had phone conversations with people who I've never met and then when we meet in person they would say to me, "You don't sound like you look." What is that supposed to mean? Am I supposed to sound ghetto or like a hip-hopper because I'm black? They see all blacks fitting into this one box.
I'm a Clinical Research
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 03/30/2008 - 23:00.
I'm a Clinical Research Associate based out of DC and I hear that a lot as well. I always respond with the same answer, "I was thinking the exact same thing about you".
I love it, it always confuses people...