TikTok is definitely one of the biggest makers of what’s considered trending and what’s not. The platform, when used in earnest, also has the ability to hold people accountable for boundaries crossed.
Entertainment and civil rights lawyer Wynton Yates has called out Airbnb hosts on TikTok for their advertisement of a former slave quarters they’ve converted into “luxury accommodation”.
In a listing titled “The Panther Burn Cottage @Belmont Plantation” in Mississippi, the host – with superhost status – explicitly shared that the cabin served as a slave quarters in the early 1800s. After that, it was used as sharecropper’s cabin and doctor’s office at different times. the Belmont Plantation website also states that it has been voted Best Bed & Breakfast and Best “Hidden Gem” in the Mississippi River!
@lawyerwynton #airbnb It’s not correct. #the story #civil rights #American History ♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose
Airbnb has been celebrated for its ability to provide access to diverse and unique experiences, from cooking to renting homes in pristine, prime locations in some of the world’s greatest regions. But is there a line not to cross regarding some of these spaces?
“It’s not right, at least and I know there will be someone who will say ‘oh, you’re looking for controversy where it doesn’t exist. No, it’s an 1830s slave shack that’s on Airbnb as a bed and breakfast,” Yates said in the video. “How is it acceptable in someone’s mind to rent this …a place where human beings were kept as slaves, to rent it out as a bed and breakfast.”
Renovation of old plantation sites is certainly not uncommon. However, many agree with Yates’ position on the seemingly disrespectful nature of turning the lands that bear the most triggering and horrifying stories for African Americans into outlets for recreation. Since chalet bed and breakfast offers are still available on the the planting siteit is clear that the movement for the in defiance of the pain that black slavery holds in this country paves the way for an entity like this to operate successfully.
After the backlash, an Airbnb seller said, “We are taking this report seriously and have disabled all listings associated with this property while we investigate,” Mic reported.
The listing has since been removed on Airbnb as well as other home rental sites.
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