Can a Black-Sounding Name Hurt Your Career Prospects?

[mzbuttons]

This is definitely an interesting topic. One, I must say I've had an experience with. My cousin and I are a year apart, she, one year older than me. One summer we were both home for college and trying to find jobs just for the summer. Well a lady at our church told us to call this company that she knew was hiring. My name is definitely a more mainstream name, whereas my cousin's name would be identified as black. Not ghetto, just black. Kind of how the name "Tomeka" is simply considered a black name. Either way, we both called on the same day, ironically from the same telephone number. They only asked us about our education and if we were looking for summer employment only. Needless to say, I got a call back and she did not. My cousin and I talked about it afterwards, when we found out that I got a call back and she did not. I never really thought more about it after that. Funny thing is four years later, my cousin had a baby girl. She named her, what I would call clearly a white sounding name. I even picked at her about it before she had her. My cousin told me she did it on purpose, so her baby wouldnt be looked over for a job based on name alone. I didnt even know she remembered that event. But I guess you always remember your personal prejudice incidents. So, all that to say this. All the qualifications and intelligence in the world gets you nothing if you cant even get the first interview. Unfair, but true.