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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.
I just asked a question.
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- Caucasian
- Lesbian
- Retail
- Arts/Entertainment/Media
- Coworker
- Cross-cultural communication
- Diversity Initiatives
- Representation
There was a newly formed council called the Inclusion Council and there were about 15 people in it, mostly directors and officers from various areas of the company. When one of my colleagues simply asked, "Hey, about the Inclusion Council, do you know if there is a gay representative on the council?" The head of diversity programs launched into a tirade. "Well, I don't even know anything about that. I resent the fact that you think that just because I am a black female I can't represent the gay perspective on..."