Airbnb joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Atlanta to announce the first regional partnership for 2019. The announcement follows launches in other cities to ensure that the benefits of homesharing extend to all communities, including the Black community.

"We are excited to announce Airbnb's partnership with the NAACP in Atlanta, which has always played a historic role in our nation's African American community. As part of this partnership, we want to ensure that Atlantans can partake in the benefits of the sharing economy and further. Airbnb's mission is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere" said Janaye Ingram, Airbnb's Director of National Partnerships.

In addition to targeted outreach, the partnership includes a unique revenue sharing model: Airbnb will share its earnings from this partnership with the NAACP. The NAACP and Airbnb will also collaborate on a series of projects to support Airbnb's ongoing efforts to increase workforce diversity, as well as support Airbnb's supplier diversity goals.

"This partnership with Airbnb in Atlanta will help ensure that African Americans and communities of color have opportunities to earn valuable extra income. We want to partner with Airbnb in promoting Atlanta and the great State of Georgia to visitors traveling near and far. Airbnb offers great lodging options for college graduations and for families visiting the area's museums and destinations. We look forward to moving this partnership forward together with Airbnb in the months ahead," said Marvin Owens, Jr., Senior Director of Economic Programs for the NAACP.

The Airbnb-NAACP partnership includes a series of commitments:

Community Outreach & Education. Local NAACP chapters will work with Airbnb to launch a grassroots, community-based campaign to educate more people on the economic benefits of hosting and bringing more travelers to communities of color. The campaigns will include a series of in-person community meetings, online and offline outreach efforts, and educational campaigns on issues regarding fair and affordable housing.

A Diverse Employee Base. Increasing diversity in its workforce is a key priority for Airbnb, which met its goal of increasing the percentage of its employees from underrepresented populations in the U.S. to 11 percent by the end of 2017, but continues to work toward greater workforce diversity. The NAACP will provide support and guidance as Airbnb work toward this goal.

Supplier Diversity. The NAACP will serve as an adviser to Airbnb's Supplier Diversity Program to better connect Airbnb with diverse businesses who can help meet the growing company's needs. Airbnb has set a goal that 10 percent of its total procurement spend goes to suppliers owned by underrepresented communities, women, veterans, members of the LGBTQ community, and businesses in Historically Underutilized Business Zones by the end of 2019.

"My husband and I host on Airbnb because it's our way of trying to change the world. We are semi-retired, so the income is important," said Airbnb host Jane Berry. "There is so much to see and do in Atlanta and we are proud to show off the city to our guests. As African American hosts, we love sharing information with our guests and educating them on local civil rights history that played a key role in our nation's history."