A Jamaican business owner who leases small cottages as short-term rentals to tourists has said she will be blocking “Black Americans” from renting from her in the future.
This from survivethenews.com.
She complained that they “start fights with each other” late at night and said they expected the same treatment in Jamaica that they receive in America.
She made it clear that she is not saying all Black Americans are the same.
But the ones that came to my place have been nothing but problems.
She explained:
They think that they can come to Jamaica and can get the same free shit here, and they are nasty about it.
"Disrespectful, entitled, unappreciative"
Controversy has erupted around a video by the owner of Rustic Mountain Living, a Jamaican cottage rental business. The woman says she will no longer allow short-term rentals for black Americans. pic.twitter.com/YqKbATMiAZ
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) May 24, 2023
The owner, who goes by thebarefootislandlady on Instagram, said:
[M]any business people are miserable because of their clientele, but I am not going to allow bad customers to do that to me
She continued:
I’m not risking my health and my happiness for people, no short-term stay, no short-term stay. It is not going to happen here.
I would rather eat salt and bananas and let goats and cows into my house than have you come in and disrespect it.
I would not hate my business because of customers. A lot of business people are miserable because of their customers, not this place.
She ended her statement by saying:
My place is drama-free.
Her video garnered nearly 5,000 likes and almost 1,000 comments.
While she took a lot of criticism from followers who said she was stereotyping and should be more open-minded, she also had many defend her position. Some argue that there is a different level of respect shown when you stay on someone’s property.
Some said they would unfollow her Instagram feed as a result, and she encouraged them to do so.
so.
She responded to much of the criticism with the same message, pointing out that she does not want or need business from guests that cause her “headaches,” stating that other hosts have experienced the same issue with travelers.
She followed up with a post saying she is receiving harsh criticism but would post her video one hundred more times if she could and is not going to apologize:
I’m not sorry.
She said she has the right to free speech and will not be bullied. She said those complaining are the clientele she hopes to weed out:
My peace is more important than your frickin’ opinion.
Final thoughts: This black Jamaican lady seems more American than many of us Americans. She is saying what many of us are thinking—but can’t openly say because of the certain legal retaliation.
