TikTok influencer Erica W. criticizes Airbnb in a “southern” style for hanging stuffed monkeys, cotton and other “racist” things as decorations

You have finally arrived at your holiday destination.

You’ve booked that sweet Airbnb in the South and can’t wait to dive into the Pinterest-perfect comfort you’ve been dreaming of all year. You expect cozy blankets, Architectural Digest-worthy decor, and maybe even a complimentary bottle of wine to relax with.

But what if, instead of relaxing, you find yourself thrown into a scene that seems to have come straight from a nightmare – a scene that takes you back to a darker time in history?

That’s exactly what happened to TikTok star Erica W when she opened the door to an Airbnb and suddenly found herself knee-deep in cotton – and not just any cotton, but this terrifying 19th-century kind!

In a July 28 TikTok post, Erica, who goes by @tasteofmelanin on the platform, shared her disturbing experience at an Airbnb with racist “southern” undertones. The video showed some pretty disturbing decorations, including cotton bouquets, cotton branches and cotton wreaths hanging on a wall with stuffed monkeys dangling from them.

The disturbing, obviously racially charged motifs were scattered throughout the Airbnb – on the walls, the TV stand and other visible places throughout the house.

“Southern AIRBNB Core” was the headline of the beauty and fashion influencer’s disturbing video.

@tasteofmelaninI-♬ Original sound – I ruined it

While it’s unclear where the Airbnb was located, the video also showed a wooden plaque in the shape of Virginia, a state with a long historical tradition of slavery, placed on a mantel beneath a hanging deer head trophy.

Cotton was one of the most important crops of the enslaved population of the South in the 18th and 19th centuries, and monkeys have long been used as a motif in bigoted depictions of black people.

According to Atlanta Blackstar, Erica W. did not stay long in the creepy Airbnb rental. She reported that she immediately left the home and the company contacted her and removed the racist listing from its channels.

But even though the post has been removed, many users say it is just another example of the state of the country we call home.

@lowk3y.briiii replied: “There’s no way it could be decorated like this… it was made just for you all.”

“Not the Get Out sequel setup,” wrote user @maryjanexx.x.

Another user, @Mango89012, insisted that the choice of decor in the Airbnb property was “very deliberate.”

“Cotton decor is so normal in the South it scares me every time,” added another.

“Hey! So this is crazy,” wrote another. “This is freaky,” said another.

Have you ever had a shocking experience in an Airbnb?

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