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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.
People were different in group settings than on one-on-one
One-on-one it was easier to control your identity and I would feel my identity was more respected. In a group setting, sometimes stereotypes would come into play. If you are a person who is assertive or you are insightful or you like to make an off-hand joke, perhaps if you are Asian, that is more unexpected. I would have these client relationships where I thought the people were okay one-on-one. Then I would go into these LA Law type of meetings and that is where I would find I was put in my place through ever so witty repertoire by the white, older attorneys. They would be almost apologetically nice afterwards. But somehow they felt pressured to kind of one up each other during group meetings at my expense.