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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.
Withholding Information
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical
- Health Care
- Double Standards
- Insubordination
Another employee who had had been with the company for 18 years applied for a different position within the company but didn't get it so she started working for me. I thought we both knew the organization inside out and that we were a perfect pair. I kept asking her for some information regarding a union we were bargaining with and she kept telling me that no one had the information I requested. Finally, I had to spend an entire weekend pulling this information myself. Afterwards I went to my supervisor and told him that I wanted her out of my sight. Instead of getting fired she was moved to another project. If she was black, she would have been fired.