AIRBNB DELETES “SLAVE QUARTERS” FROM LISTINGS AFTER RECEIVING BACKLASH FROM USERS

On Monday, an Airbnb removed listings where enslaved people in the U.S. once lived following a viral TikTok video slamming a Mississippi property described as a “slave cabin.”

TikTok user LawyerWynton went viral following his discovery of a listing that reads “bed and breakfast” with a description, “This particular structure … is an 1830s slave cabin.” It also said that the small building was used as a “tenant sharecroppers cabin” and a “medical office for local farmers and their families.” Social media users found it disturbing and in poor taste, with one saying, “who would want to stay here,” with another adding, “How do you sleep there and not feel the pain in that room?”

Airbnb added that the company is working with experts to develop new policies to address other properties associated with slavery. 

The property at the forefront of the controversy is the Panther Burn Cottage at the Belmont Plantation in Greenville, Mississippi, which is no longer listed.

Yates explained in his video that the listing failed to recognize its history of slavery.

“Maybe you’re thinking, ‘Okay maybe this will give people insight into how enslaved people had to live, their living conditions.’ No, not at all. Clawfoot tub, running water, tile, nice lighting fixtures, water, towels, dresser,” he said. 

“The history of slavery in this country is constantly denied and now it’s being mocked by being turned into a luxurious vacation spot,” he continued. 

Yates said his brother’s friend first found the listing when looking for an Airbnb in the area. Upon seeing it, Yates felt compelled to call the listing out.