Airbnb accommodates diversity

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s ban on immigrants and refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries, homestay network Airbnb used its 30-second Super Bowl advertisement to voice their opposition.

The advertisement featured an array of headshots of the company’s staff, each of a different ethnicity and religious affiliation.

Airbnb tied together the advertisement with the hashtag #WeAccept.

This is the perfect outlet to respond to Trump’s recent announcement because it portrays an image of diversity and promotes acceptance.

The campaign featured the text “We believe no matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept,” over the headshots.

According to Jefferson Graham’s USA Today story, the advertisement never mentions Trump’s executive order to steer clear from such a controversial issue.

However, the message is of course politically charged.

“We couldn’t talk about the lack of acceptance in the world without pointing out the challenges in our own community at Airbnb,” said Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky in an interview with The Verge.

“The painful truth is that guests on Airbnb have experienced discrimination, something that is the very opposite of our values. We know we have work to do and are dedicated to achieving greater acceptance in our community.”

Research has shown that some Airbnb guests discriminate by refusing to host black guests based on their names, according to Colin Lecher’s The Verge story.

Despite some backlash Airbnb has faced for the ad, it is still an amazing step forward for the company to take a stand against Trump’s decision while also speaking up for the targeted groups’ rights. People who have been displaced, whether it is because of war, conflict or other factors, are incredibly vulnerable to not being accepted.

For this reason, all companies should follow in Airbnb’s footsteps and demand action.

Chesky sums up the company’s sentiment in a link to the #WeAccept campaign in which he states, “No matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love, or who you worship, you deserve to belong.”

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