For listing an “1830s slave Cabin” on its website, Airbnb came under fire earlier in July, according to BuzzFeed News. The business will finally take down all listings for slavery from its website after five months.
According to the vacation rental website, any listings for homes on plantations that “existed during the time of slavery” will be immediately deleted off the site. Additionally, any advertisers that list houses/ slave cabins built to enslave people will be barred from future listings.
The company also announced that renters would be prohibited from marketing properties that display “slave-related features” on the website, even if it is labeled as a tourist attraction.
“Discrimination and bias, unfortunately, happen in our world so that they can play out on platforms like Airbnb – and that’s unacceptable to us. We want everyone to feel safe and welcome using our platform,” said Janaye Ingram, Airbnb Director of Community Partner Programs and Engagement.
“We believe you can’t fix what you don’t measure, so we’re using Project Lighthouse [a custom server] to help us uncover disparities among perceived racial groups and inform our work to make Airbnb more equitable for people of color.”
Many Twitter users have highlighted that this policy only shows that there is still a demand for slave cabin rentals which is a demoralizing thought. It also shows that many still view Black pain comedy/entertainment.
In a recent TikTok video, lawyer Wynton Yates said: “How is this OK in somebody’s mind to rent this out – a place where human beings were kept as slaves – rent this out as a bed and breakfast?”
“These places really should be remembered for the hardships and horrific acts that happened here. They should not be a source of profit and entertainment.”