Airbnb REMOVES former slave quarters cabin in Mississippi after user outcry

Airbnb has removed the listing of a former slave cabin on the Belmont Plantation in Greenville, Mississippi that was renting out for $165 a night after a viral TikTok user called out the “atrocity.”

Panther Burn Cottage @ Belmont Plantation is listed as a ‘1830’s Slave Cottage’ which was also used as a ‘Tenant’s Cottage’.

Wytnon Yates, 34, posted a now-viral video – it has garnered nearly 3 million views so far – on TikTok about the property and said it was anything but quaint and charming.

“The history of slavery in this country is constantly being denied and now it’s being mocked by turning it into a luxury vacation spot,” Yates said in the clip.

,It’s not OK. This is an 1830s slave cabin on Airbnb,” says Yates, with a screenshot of the outside of the humble abode. “In anyone’s mind, how is it ok to rent this out as a bed and breakfast, a place where people were held as slaves?”

Sleeping up to two guests, the one-story home features a bedroom and en-suite bathroom — no mention of a kitchen — adding that the former slave quarters have been renovated with modern conveniences, including Netflix. The property had one 4.97 stars and 68 reviews.

Airbnb quickly removed the listing from its platform and apologized for any “trauma” or “sorrow” it caused.

“We have removed the Mississippi listing in question and are in the process of removing listings known to contain former slave quarters in the United States,” Haven Thorn, an Airbnb spokesman, told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

He said that “properties that used to house the slaves have no place on Airbnb.”

“We apologize for any trauma or grief caused by the existence of this listing and other similar listings, and for not acting earlier to address this issue,” Thorn said.

He added, “We are working with experts to develop new policies that address other characteristics associated with slavery.”

The Panther Burn Cottage @ Belmont Plantation [pictured] is listed on Airbnb as “1830’s Slave Cabin” which was also used as a “Tenant Cabin”. The structure was also a “medical practice for local farmers and their families”.

Two different corners of the bedroom decorated with traditional aesthetics

A view of the private bathroom in the slave cabin, which has since been dismantled from the Airbnb platform

The cabin is located on the estate property in Greenville, Mississippi. Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States, and the county seat of Washington County. The population was 34,400 at the 2010 census. It is located in an area of ​​historic cotton plantations and crops known as the Mississippi Delta.

Yates, a civil rights and entertainment attorney, said he learned about the real estate listing when he was with him Brother’s friend who was looking for Airbnbs in the Greenville area came across the ad.

He said he was “appalled” by this and the conversation that started in a friends chat soon shifted to a family chat, which then sparked the TikTok video.

“This is the story of a lot of black Americans, when we see something like this we can’t tell anyone,” Yates said.

“We feel stuck and just have to endure the experience when we see something like this and that’s why I made TikTok. The idea of ​​renting out a slave cabin takes them to a whole new level.”

The cabin’s owner, Brad Hauser, 52, told the Washington Post that he took ownership in July and said in a statement that although the building was a doctor’s office and not a quarters for enslaved people, “the previous one ‘ was the owner’s decision to market the building as a place for slaves to sleep.’

Hauser, who is white, said he was “strongly” against the previous owner’s decision and vowed to provide guests with a “historically accurate portrayal” of life at Belmont Plantation.

“I’m not interested in making money from slavery,” said Hauser, who apologized for the listing, “which insults African Americans whose ancestors were slaves.

Yates, who lives in New Orleans and grew up in Georgia, said his family has a history in Louisiana.

“When my friends had weddings, events, and business meetings on plantations, I grew up romanticizing plantations, which isn’t new, but promoting the romanticization of slavery by renovating a slave cabin and then renting it out as a bed and breakfast is one new level of abomination.’

Yates said most people who contacted him after the video was posted agreed with his views.

He said his intention wasn’t to reach out to Airbnb or the property’s host and he didn’t seem too keen for them to reply, but he said, “Words aren’t enough. They must implement the statement they made that they will implement policies.’

Established in 1857, the stately Belmont Plantation is the last antebellum mansion along the river in the Mississippi Delta and occupies over 9,000 square feet. The home and grounds have undergone a major restoration, and the space is used for weddings, events, tours, B&B accommodation, and corporate retreats, according to its website

A 1936 snapshot of the 9,000-square-foot mansion at Belmont Plantation

Founded in 1857, Belmont Plantation is the last pre-war mansion along the river in the Mississippi Delta, according to its website. It stands on over 9,000 square meters. It is listed as a historic property by the National Register

Founded in 1857, Belmont Plantation is the last pre-war mansion along the river in the Mississippi Delta, according to its website. It stands on over 9,000 square meters. It is listed as a historic property by the National Register.