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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.
Asking for Help
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Banking - Investment
- Management Consulting
- Manager
- Mentors
- Risk
In my first management position I received feedback from my supervisor that I was doing very well but that some of the Caucasian female supervisors were uncomfortable with me because I wasn't asking them for help. I sought out advice from my mentors instead because I felt as though if I asked the Caucasian supervisors for too much help they might begin to think that the minorities needed "special programs" to succeed. Asking for help isn't as simple as they made it sound.