Black Man Sues for Discrimination After Using Fake Name to Secure Job Interview

It’s a tough world out here for a Black man, so much so that one might have to change their name to a white-sounding name just to be considered for a job.

That happened to Dwight Jackson, who initially applied for a hotel job in Detroit but was denied an interview. He then changed his name to John Jebrowski, and, of course, he secured the interview to get the job potentially.

Jackson subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Shinola Hotel on July 3, alleging he was denied a job, according to CNN.

According to the lawsuit, Jackson alleges he was denied a job in “violation of Michigan Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act.”

Right smack dab in the middle of January and April 2024, Jackson, who is a 27-year-old Black man, applied to several positions at the Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit, which included a role in reception, according to the lawsuit. And on the website, Shinola Hotel says it is a “luxury” hotel.

Jon Marko, Jackson’s attorney, provided CNN with a copy of Jackson’s resume, which details consistent employment, including previous roles as a “Front Desk Agent” at Detroit’s Marriott Westin Book Cadillac and the David Whitney Hotel. Both establishments use the words "luxury" and "luxurious" to describe their hotels.

Mr. Jackson had applied for a job for which he was eminently qualified," Marko, a civil rights attorney, told CNN. However, the Shinola Hotel did not offer Jackson an interview.

Following no response to his initial job applications, in April 2024 Jackson reapplied, making one significant change to his application: his name.

Jackson applied to Shinola Hotel “twice for similar positions under a normal Caucasian name, with the alias ‘John Jebrowski,’” using nearly identical resumes, according to the lawsuit. The resumes have different dates of previous employment.

And, of course, he was offered several interviews. 

Alleging in the lawsuit is 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.