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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.
Old Girls' Club
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Banking - Investment
- Considering Leaving
- Management Consulting
- Insubordination
A white woman who I supervised clearly wanted my position. She made every attempt to undercut my authority. Even other white men on my team would ask me, "What is her problem?" It seems like now there is an old girls' club that is equally as exclusive as the old boys' club. I have had the most difficulty with white women and have had to leave companies because of such difficulty.