Airbnb Hires Actor Danny Glover as An Advisor in Efforts to Boost Diversity

Source: IMDb

Popular online marketplace Airbnb has hired legendary actor and activist Danny Glover as an advisor to help combat Airbnb's image as being nonfriendly to people of color.  

Part of his job will be reaching out to communities of color and encouraging individuals who aren't white to sign up for the service.

Read: Airbnb Cancels Bookings, Deletes Accounts Of People Attending White Supremacist Rally

In a blog post, Glover talked about his role and why he's becoming involved:

"I know Airbnb has had its own share of challenges in this arena. But working with them, I’ve seen first-hand how committed they are to getting it right...We will host information sessions and run online and offline campaigns aimed at engaging the people who can benefit from home sharing the most. As an advisor, I will be on the ground doing whatever I can to promote these efforts — participating in trainings and events, working with local organizations and faith-based leaders, and getting to know more of the hosts who empower our communities."

Watch: Michael B. Jordan, Danny Glover Star In Haunting Police Brutality PSA

Glover has already been meeting with people of color in areas that have become gentrified, like Brooklyn and San Francisco, in the hopes that they'll join the service. In his post, he said:"In many cases, Airbnb can even be the difference between hosts having to give up their homes and earning income from them."

Airbnb has been trying to address its diversity problem — with renting and hosting — for years now. In the past they've done things like hire former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to write an anti-discrimination policy and collaborate with the NAACP to host information sessions.

Source: Forbes