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.
Banking - Investment
After a verbal agreement was made, I brought in an account. Once the account was opened, I was called into a meeting to revisit the initial agreement and against my accord, the conditions of the agreement were reversed.
I overheard my superiors refer to me as being stupid to the client that I introduced to the firm. After that I tried to salvage my relationship with the client, however it was too late.
I would have stayed if I were given an opportunity.
Blackmail your way to the top.
From my experience in working in Corporate America, competing stems from greed and the sense of lacking; not from pushing the envelope or raising the bar to being the best.
I expected good performance and results to count at my new workplace, especially because we demanded similar principles in the firms we invested in.
I faked it. To have let others know of my feelings of alienation would have just increased the difficulty.
Be comfortable living the values of a white, upper-middle class, East Coast, Anglo-Saxon, heterosexual man.
