TikTok Star Erica W. Shares Racist 'Southern' Style Airbnb

Airbnb stays can be hit or miss. It was certainly a miss for Erica W., a beauty and fashion influencer on TikTok, who recently stayed in an Airbnb that had some eyebrow-raising decor. 

In a TikTok post shared on July 28, Erica, who goes by the name of @tasteofmelanin on the platform, claimed that she stayed at an Airbnb with racist “southern” undertones. The brief video revealed some unusual sights in Erica’s strange rental, including cotton plants adorned with stuffed monkeys. The troubling, seemingly racist motifs were scattered around the place—on the walls, the TV stand, and other spots throughout the house.

Erica looked visibly annoyed by the unusual setup. 

“Southern AIRBNB Core,” she captioned the strange video.

Erica left the creepy Southern Airbnb swiftly.

The comments were disabled on Erica’s post and she did not disclose the precise location of the Airbnb. However, the video captured a wooden plaque shaped like the state of Virginia, which has a deep historical legacy of slavery, positioned on a mantle beneath a mounted deer head. According to the Atlanta Blackstar, Erica did not stay at the eerie Airbnb rental for long. She left immediately upon seeing all of the strange cotton and monkey motifs. The company also contacted her to have the racist listing taken down.  

Airbnb enforces a strict non-discrimination policy to uphold its core mission of connecting people from all over the world through meaningful, shared experiences. According to the company’s website, hosts are prohibited from declining a booking based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

Additionally, hosts are not allowed to impose different terms or conditions for guests based on these factors. Moreover, those who plan to host on the platform are prohibited from posting listings or make statements that discourage or indicate a preference for or against any guest due to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

“While we do not believe that one company can mandate harmony among all people, we do believe that the Airbnb community can promote empathy and understanding across all cultures. We are all committed to doing everything we can to help eliminate all forms of unlawful bias, discrimination, and intolerance from our platform. We want to promote a culture within the Airbnb community—hosts, guests and people just considering whether to use our platform—that goes above and beyond mere compliance,” Airbnb states in its nondiscrimination policy.

We’re glad the company took accountability and did what was right. Have you had a bad experience on Airbnb?

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