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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.
A racial stereotype from a corporate executive
In 2005, a corporate executive spotted another executive coming towards him in the hallway. Both of the executives were white males, over the age of 50. One of the executives said to the other, "I haven't seen you in a coon's age." I was in the hallway and heard the comment. The other executive turned deep red. I considered it a racially stereotyped comment but believed that filing a formal complaint would escalate the issue and not necessarily change the executive's behavior. One of the executives was my client so I scheduled a meeting with him and told him that that comment was viewed as a racial stereotype that was negative to African Americans. He stated he didn't realize that and he told me that he wouldn't use that comment again.