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Traveler couple makes it easier for people to find black hosts on Airbnb. With over 300 entries and counting, Jessica E. Boyd and Steven M. Hughes have created one of the largest repertoires of Black-Owned Airbnb Hosts after struggling to find them as they traveled from town to town as nomads.
“As full-time nomads and people who are always looking for where to stay in the next town, it’s a very tedious and manual process trying to find a black host,” Hughes told Travel Noire. “We know that’s also the experience of other people who may not be nomads but want to be in a black hosted space.”
Boyd and Hughes sold all their possessions to travel the country in search of their Eternal City. the Columbia, South Carolina-a couple based in Travel Noire in a previous interview that they are ready to put down roots in a city where they can grow personally, professionally and spiritually.
They document their adventures on their social media platforms under the name Journey Black Home, which also serves as a go-to resource for finding black-owned businesses.
As the couple documents their journey of discovering the hottest spots and hidden gems of black-owned establishments, they want to make sure black guests get the same exposure.
For Boyd and Hughes, it’s not just about supporting black-owned Airbnb homes. It’s also about making sure guests feel safe during their stay.
“Airbnb has had a notorious history of fighting racial bias. People have seen their host cancel because the host sees their name or their face and doesn’t want to host black people,” Boyd adds. “We know that when you stay with other black people the likelihood of comfort is greater and racial bias is less likely to be there We’re not saying it won’t happen but for the most part you are going to be fine .
The couple say they plan to continue growing the list nationally, and eventually internationally, with monthly updates sent to email subscribers. They also accept new submissions to the list on a rolling basis at www.blackairbnbs.co.
You can find the listings online by visiting a separate Instagram they created, @blackairbnbs.
Related: Airbnb will mask guest names and photos on reservations in Oregon to avoid discrimination
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