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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 am paralyzed
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Law Firm
- Considering Leaving
- Bad Boss
- Inappropriate Behavior
- Personal Response
- Tip
At one point I became gun shy about going to my supervisor. One time I had done something and she raised her voice and said to me, "IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, WHY DON'T YOU COME TO ME WITH YOUR QUESTIONS?" At this point, I had been through so much that I had hired a coach to deal with it. Through the coaching my response was, "I didn't come to you because when I ask you a question I am met with a hostile response. When I don't ask you a question, I am met with a hostile response. I am in my office literally gun shy about what to ask you. I am paralyzed." She responded, "I'm sorry you feel that way." Another time I said, "This is becoming uncomfortable for me. Why don't I come back when you've calmed down a little bit and we can do this again?" She wasn't going to change so I was going to have to get over it.