Browse Stories
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 said, "Bye-Bye."
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Asian
- Native American
- Telecommunications
- Left & is now a Small Business Entrepreneur
- Arts/Entertainment/Media
- Acquisitions
- Business Travel
- Cultural Shift
- Underutilized
The company started recognizing that they needed to retain and attract minority women. I became part of their advisory board. I had a lot of exposure to senior level officers and I think a lot of them recognized the importance of diversity. Then the company got bought out and I had to go to Texas every week. I started getting these little, meaningless assignments. When they announced an early retirement program, I said, "Bye-Bye." It was culture shock. I didn't think I could do it. I had worked for the company for a long time, but I didn't think I could handle the transition.