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A traveling couple is making it easier for people to find Black hosts on Airbnb. With more than 300 entries and counting, Jessica E. Boyd and Steven M. Hughes have created one of the largest directories of Black-owned Airbnb hosts after struggling to find them as they travel from city to city as nomads.
“As full-time nomads and people who are always looking for where to stay in the next city, it’s a very tedious and manual process trying to find a Black host,” Hughes tells Travel Noire. “We know that this is also the experience for other people who may not be nomads but want to be in a space that’s hosted by a Black person.”
Boyd and Hughes sold all of their belongings to travel the country in search of their forever city. The Columbia, South Carolina-based couple told Travel Noire in a previous interview that they’re ready to plant roots in a city where they can grow personally, professionally, and spiritually.
They are documenting 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 most popular places and hidden gems of Black-owned establishments, they want to make sure Black hosts are getting the same exposure.
For Boyd and Hughes, it’s about more than supporting Black-owned Airbnb accommodations. It’s also about making sure guests feel safe during their stays.
“Airbnb has had a notorious past for struggling with racial bias. People have had their host cancel because the host sees their name or their face and doesn’t feel like hosting Black people,” Boyd adds. “We know that when you stay with other Black people, the likelihood of comfortability is greater and the racial bias is less likely to be there. We’re not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the most part, you’re going to be good.”
The couple says they plan to continue growing the list domestically, and eventually internationally, with monthly updates sent to email subscribers. They are also accepting 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 Hide Guest Names And Photos On Oregon Bookings To Prevent Discrimination
