Invisible Ink: Navigating racism in corporate America

An Ivy League degree propelled Stephen Graham into the world of corporate law. There he expected to be judged on his accomplishments—and he was. But unlike his white colleagues, Graham had to fight against a constant undercurrent of racial bias.

Invisible Ink recounts Graham’s experiences with bias and racism in corporate America. Unlike racially motivated violence or overt bigotry, racial bias in the business world is usually subtle, often going undetected unless coaxed to the surface. Such racism is insidious and deeply ingrained in corporate America. Succeeding means battling against prejudice on a daily basis—all while white colleagues maintain racial bias doesn’t exist or is of no consequence, dismissing attempts to confront prejudice as “playing the race card.”

Such is the environment Graham has navigated throughout his corporate career. His personal stories reveal the ever-changing contours of a racial bias that denigrates and demeans through continuous, low-grade attacks, grinding down its victims over time.

That Graham succeeded in such an environment is a testament to his talent and dedication. That such an environment should exist at all is indefensible.

Stephen Michael Graham graduated from Yale Law School in 1976. He is a corporate partner at Fenwick & West, LLP, a West Coast technology and life science law firm. Graham heads the Seattle office, which he founded, and co-leads the firm's life sciences practice.

Graham represents both public and private technology and life science companies in the corporate governance and corporate finance arenas, including securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Fenwick & West, he opened a Seattle office for Orrick after a twenty-four-year stint at Perkins Coie, Seattle's largest law firm.

Graham serves-or has served-on many nonprofit boards, including the Institute for Systems Biology, Life Science Washington, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He currently cochairs the Securities and Exchange Commission's Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies.