Airbnb celebrates voting rights bill while confronting discrimination allegations

Airbnb celebrated the anniversary of the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act over the weekend as it looks to address concerns over racial discrimination by its hosts.

On Saturday, the 51st anniversary of the landmark legislation being signed into law, the company told users in the United States about the milestone and encouraged them to register to vote.

{mosads}“At Airbnb, we believe that every vote is important. Airbnb hosts and guests are engaged in the communities they call home and we believe that everyone should be able to participate in the crucial conversations that will shape the future of our country,” the company said in a blog post.

“Our belief in the power of the vote is what drives us to honor the Voting Rights Act and we want to encourage as many people as possible to speak out and vote in upcoming elections.”

Brian Chesky, the company’s co-founder and its CEO, also spoke to the annual conference of the National Urban League on Friday. And at the Democratic National Convention last month, the company sponsored an event honoring the group of black activists who protested Mississippi’s all-white delegation to the 1964 convention.

The move comes amid allegations that the company’s hosts have discriminated against black users.

Earlier this year, the company announced it would review its anti-discrimination policies in response to users talking on social media about their experiences with racism. Former Attorney General Eric Holder was recently tapped to join that effort.

Chesky has called racial discrimination a threat to the company and said it will use its technical expertise to develop tools to address the problem.