Airbnb charges Shitstorm for renting out former slave housing

US state of Mississippi
Former slave hut as holiday accommodation – Airbnb apologizes after Shitstorm

“Properties that used to house slaves have no place on Airbnb,” a company spokesman said

© Nikolas Kokovlis / Picture Alliance

A viral TikTok video shows a former slave shelter being rented out on Airbnb. After a shitstorm, the platform apologizes.

“The history of slavery in this country is constantly being denied and now it’s being mocked by being turned into a luxury vacation,” New Orleans attorney Wynton Yates said in a viral TikTok video. The reason for his anger is a slave hut from the 1830s that was listed on Airbnb as vacation accommodation. The building is located in Greenville, Mississippi, on the Panther Burn Plantation, where slaves were used to harvest cotton in the pre-Civil War era.

The hut is far from providing a historical insight into the living conditions of slaves. The screenshots that Yates included in his clip show a four-poster bed, sun-drenched and tiled bathrooms, large wooden dressers containing folded towels, and other modern conveniences. In the description of the advertisement is according to “GuardiansIt was mentioned that the accommodation had been completely restored a few years ago. Nevertheless, many wooden elements “originally from the first construction in the 1830s” have been preserved.

Airbnb deletes listing and apologizes

“How can anyone find it okay to rent this out? A place where people were kept as slaves,” the lawyer wonders. At times, more than 80 slaves lived on the 9,000 square meter property. Overnight guests — mostly white vacationers — have left dozens of positive reviews. “Highly recommend watching the sunset”, “It was historic but elegant”, “What a delightful place to soak up history,” Yates cites some of the comments.

being Video was viewed 2.6 million times in five days. Noisy “forbesAirbnb deleted the ad the same day Yates uploaded the clip. A company spokesman told The Guardian: “Property that used to house slaves has no place on Airbnb. We apologize for any trauma or grief caused by this post and for not taking action sooner to address this issue.”

Work is underway to remove all listings renting former slave quarters in the United States in the future. In addition, Airbnb is “collaborating with experts to develop new policies that address slavery.” Property owner Brad Hauser noted that it was the previous owner who wanted to offer the “slave cabin” to vacationers.

“As the new owner, I apologize for the decision to offer our guests a stay in the ‘slave quarters’,” he says in an interview with “CNN“. “I also apologize for insulting African Americans whose ancestors were slaves.” The accommodation will no longer be rented out.

Sources:CNN“, “forbes“, “The Guardians“, tik tok

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