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Desiree Davidson
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.

Should she stay or go?

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My boss said I was the junk yard cat

Rachel Dean
Rachel Dean

I received an award in front of an entire department of approximately 400 people. In presenting the award to me a supervisor said, "We give this award to our junk yard cat." There was an audible gasp from the crowd. It was really uncomfortable for everyone. In a way it was good that he said that because then everyone knew how he was and soon HR was all over it. Afterwards, he came to me to try and apologize. Knowing I was Jewish, he said, "I always knew you would be good at negotiations because you people always know how to bargain."

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