A Black man named Dwight Jackson is suing a hotel in Detroit, Michigan, called Shinola Hotel. He says they only offered him a job interview after he changed his name on his resume.
Dwight Jackson filed a lawsuit on July 3, claiming he was discriminated against under Michigan’s Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act.
Between January and April 2024, Jackson, who is 27 years old, applied for several jobs at Shinola Hotel, including a reception role.
The hotel describes itself as “luxury.”
Jackson’s lawyer, Jon Marko, showed CNN a copy of Jackson’s resume, which listed his experience, including working as a “Front Desk Agent” at luxury hotels in Detroit.
Initially, Shinola Hotel didn’t respond to Jackson’s applications.
But in April 2024, Jackson applied again, this time using the name “John Jebrowski” instead of Dwight Jackson.
According to the lawsuit, he got multiple interview offers within a week using the new name.
The lawsuit claims that the hotel’s decision to offer interviews was based on racial bias against names that sound traditionally Black.
Shinola Hotel’s operating partner, Sage Hospitality Group, responded to the allegations, stating they take discrimination seriously and aim for an inclusive workplace.
Marko explained that Jackson attended the interviews and later revealed his true identity.
Despite this, he was told he wasn’t considered for the job anymore.
Marko emphasized that discrimination in hiring, especially against minorities or people with minority-sounding names, is sadly common.
He mentioned a study showing resumes with Black-sounding names receive fewer callbacks.
Jackson hopes his case will highlight this issue and prevent others from facing similar discrimination in hiring practices.