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.
Tip
I think you should include disability issues with this survey. While the barriers to realizing one's full potential are different for people of color, women, LGBT people, and disabled people, we all face barriers and share some common issues - and for people who fall into more than one of those categories, obstacles are everywhere.
Life is too short for nonsense, start your own business. If you are not a risk taker, work at a company where the majority of the people are like you.
Stay your course and fight for what is right. Even though there may be people who may want to put you down, walk with your head up.
To be successful here, you would need to be a black or Hispanic woman.
If I were giving advice to anyone else in this situation, I would say to see things from her point of view, and to think positive in that those candidates were probably not as productive as they could have been somewhere else.
I would advise potential employees to document everything, provide details to more than one manager, and to keep their payroll records.
Be straight, get married, have children and kiss ass.
Blackmail your way to the top.
I always tell future wannabe lawyers or law students contemplating a job with a big law firm to understand the price for the big paycheck.
If you believe that the human race evolved through a series of scientific coincidences or that we evolved from apes, you may experience a tremendous challenge managing your own expectations in life or in Corporate America because you won't be able to call on God or to use the power of prayer to help you through the rough times.
