RACISM: Black man only got job interview after using White-sounding name, lawsuit says

A Black man has accused a hotel in Michigan of racial discrimination after he says he was only invited to an interview after he changed the name on his application to one that “sounded more Caucasian.”

Dwight Jackson, 27, applied for jobs at the Shinola Hotel in Detroit “on multiple occasions” between January and April this year, according to a lawsuit filed last week. For more than 10 positions, including front desk jobs and back-end roles, Jackson sent the applications under his own name. None led to an interview.

Johnson alleges that Shinola Hotel kept overlooking his applications for multiple positions until he changed his name.

In a lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, July, 10, Jackson stated that he made numerous attempts to work at the luxury hotel between January and April 2024 but was denied an opportunity to interview for the positions.

It wasn’t until he submitted a CV with a ‘Caucasian name’ – John Jebrowski – that he was contacted by the hotel to undergo the interviewing process the same week, the filing states.

Jackson said he started out using his birth name in his initial attempts. But as soon as he applied with the alias John Jebrowski, keeping all of his work history and skills the same, he says he received an interview call from the management.
Jackson went through the interview process, however he was informed that he was not a viable candidate for the position, according to court documents.

‘Mr. Jackson actually confronted them and said, “I’m Dwight Jackson, I’m the guy that’s been applying to a job” and they said, ‘We’re done. We don’t want to hire you”,’ Jackson’s attorney John Marko further told CBS News Detroit.

‘It’s illegal to discriminate against someone in the hiring process because of the colour of his skin.

‘The suit alleges (the hotel) illegally discriminated against Mr. Jackson by refusing to give him an interview or hire him for a position for which he was qualified and the only reason is the color of his skin,’ Marko added.

Since the filing, the hotel has issued a statement saying that they ‘do not tolerate discrimination of any kind’.

‘We take this allegation very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

‘We’re committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and are dedicated to building a diverse workforce that reflects the community.’

Jackson has stated in the lawsuit that he suffered stress, humiliation, emotional damages, and economic damages due to the incident.

He is seeking an ‘amount as the trier of fact shall deem fair and just, together with interest, costs and attorney fees, and for such other and further relief as this Honorable Court may deem appropriate’ as damages, according to documents.