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.
Diversity Initiatives
I did have frustrations with the diversity committee. It often seemed that they did not consider LGBT individuals to be minorities.
My firm made isolated attempts to diversify but kept the sexist and racist managing partner
Some law firms I have been at make these isolated attempts to diversify. They bring in high profile people but they don't address the underlying culture.
I went through six interviews my first summer during business school and afterwards I compared notes with other students who interviewed with the same employers.
I'm going to put together a proposal because I realize that we don't have a diversity policy at this firm. Let's take a look at what is going on. At this firm the last three associates that have left have been associates of color.
Before the bank was acquired, I had been involved with their diversity programs for ten years. But the new bank's diversity programs had just started. Diversity for the new bank meant programs for African-American people.
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.
