A Black attorney has exposed an Airbnb listing of an 1830 slave cabin marketed as a bed and breakfast, which people have been eagerly renting and staying in.
TikTok user @lawyerwynton, whose real name is Wynton Yates, posted a video to his account in which he he showed the listing and voiced his opinions on it.
“This is not okay in the least bit,” Yates says in the now-viral video, “and I know there’s gonna be somebody that says ‘oh you’re looking for controversy where it doesn’t exist.’ No, this is an 1830s slave cabin that is up on Airbnb as a bed and breakfast. How do I know that this is slave quarters other than just using my eyes and looking at it? Well, they say it in the listing.”
The Panther Burn Cottage is situated on the property of the Panther Burn Plantation in Panther Burn, Mississippi.
Yates proceeds to read reviews posted on the listing by people who have stayed there:
“Memorable,” he quotes.
“We stayed in the sharecropper cabin and ate in the main house.”
“Enjoyed everything about our stay the cottage. The history, the tour, the breakfast and all was great.”
Other reviews highlighted by Yates describe the controversial accommodations as “historic“, “elegant“, “delightful“, and “cool.”
Yates points out that though some might assume the cabin could potentially provide insight into how African Americans lived during slavery, that is neither the case nor the intent behind it.
Decorated and furnished, featuring modern comforts and amenities such as running water, lighting, and a clawfoot bathtub, it in no way depicts the harsh realities of the lives enslaved people lived.
“The history of slavery in this country is constantly denied and now it’s being mocked by being turned into a luxurious vacation spot,” concludes Yates.
The listing has since been taken down, but Airbnb remains in the hot seat, with many outraged that they would allow such a thing on their platform in the first place. In many instances, the homestay and vacation rental company has been called out for the racial discrimination that exists on their platform. Though Airbnb has taken measures to combat this, when it comes to racial sensitivity, it is obvious the company has a long way to go. They responded saying:
“Properties that formerly housed the enslaved have no place on Airbnb. We apologize for any trauma or grief created by the presence of this listing, and others like it, and that we did not act sooner to address this issue,” Airbnb said in a statement provided to CNN.
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