I do a little happy dance whenever a person of color gets tapped for a leadership position at a major law firm. And if it’s a woman of color, I’m practically doing somersaults.
Alas, though, that feeling of elation fades quickly. Two minutes later, I am thinking of the pitfalls—how minority leaders face unique pressures, how they’re viewed as representatives of their race and how people often expect them to fail. Always lurking in the back of my mind is the question whether they’re armed with the requisite institutional support to succeed.
I went through the stages of awe, celebration ...