Sibahle Nkumbi was checking out of her Amsterdam AirBnb, when the host pushed her down a staircase over an alleged late checkout, yelling “This isn’t Africa!”
White supremacy has always made traveling dangerous for us.
In the 1920s, Black people never left home without their Jim Crow travel kit, which included tools like a miniature stove since businesses refused to serve us. Victor Hugo Green created the Green Book, a guide with safe establishments for Black travelers.
White terrorism while traveling STILL happens today.
With the growth of the sharing economy, companies like AirBnb make way for racism. In 2016, Black travelers started the hashtag #AirBnbWhileBlack to share similar experiences.
While AirBnb has made some strides to combat discrimination, anti-Blackness can’t be reformed away by company policies. But these Black travelers are taking matters into their own hands.
Traveling couple Jessica E. Boyd and Steven M. Hughes created a list of over two hundred Black-owned AirBnbs to help Black folks navigate travel with ease and peace of mind – a resource we need!
Follow @BlackAirbnbs on Instagram before your next trip, or submit your Airbnb at www.blackairbnbs.co.
We deserve to stay somewhere safe while traveling. Like Boyd and Hughes, using your skills to build businesses that benefit our communities is necessary for our path to liberation.