Black man gets job interview after changing name on resume • Hollywood Unlocked

According to a lawsuit obtained by CNN, a Black man in Detroit, Michigan, has filed a claim against a hotel for employment discrimination. 

The man, Dwight Jackson, alleges that he was only offered a job interview after changing the name on his resume from “Dwight Jackson” to “John Jebrowski.” The lawsuit alleges Jackson was denied a job in “violation of Michigan Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act.” During the period of January to April 2024, a 27-year-old Black man named Jackson applied for various positions at the Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit, such as a receptionist role, as stated in the lawsuit. The Shinola Hotel is described as a “luxury” hotel on its website.

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Jackson’s lawyer, Jon Marko, shared Jackson’s resume with CNN, which shows a history of steady employment, including positions as a “Front Desk Agent” at upscale hotels in Detroit such as the Marriott Westin Book Cadillac and David Whitney Hotel, both of which are described as luxury or luxurious establishments. “Mr. Jackson had applied for a job that he was eminently qualified for,” Marko, a civil rights attorney, told CNN. However, Shinola Hotel did not offer Jackson an interview.

In April 2024, after receiving no response to his initial job applications, Jackson reapplied with one significant modification to his application – his name.

According to the lawsuit, Jackson applied to the Shinola Hotel twice for similar positions using the alias “John Jebrowski,” a name that appears more Caucasian. Both applications included nearly identical resumes, with the only difference being the dates of previous employment. The lawsuit alleges that Jackson received multiple interview offers within the same week after applying with the name “John Jebrowski.”

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The lawsuit alleges that “Jackson established that the Defendant’s consideration of candidates was based on the racial appearance of the applicant’s name.”

“To be denied a job in 2024 in your hometown, for the color of your skin, goes beyond dollars and cents. It goes into the psyche of a person,” Marko said.