• Home
  • Mail
  • News
  • Finance
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Search
  • Mobile
  • More
Yahoo
    • Skip to Navigation
    • Skip to Main Content
    • Skip to Related Content
    • Mail
    Lifestyle Home
    Follow Us
    • Style
    • Beauty
    • Wellness
    • Shopping
    • MAKERS
    • Holiday Guide for Guys
    • Pets
    • Video
    • Horoscopes
    • Pop Culture

    Slave plantations will no longer be glorified as 'romantic places to marry' on The Knot, Pinterest

    Elise Solé
    Yahoo LifestyleDecember 5, 2019
    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share
    Two popular websites are cracking down on plantation weddings, with encouragement from a civil rights advocacy group. (Photo: Getty Images)
    Two popular websites are cracking down on plantation weddings, with encouragement from a civil rights advocacy group. (Photo: Getty Images)

    Pinterest and The Knot will no longer promote wedding venues that operated as slave plantations, thanks to the civil rights advocacy group, Color of Change.

    Both companies broke the exclusive news to BuzzFeed Wednesday, detailing individual plans to stop glamorizing the locations after requests from the social justice organization. “The decision to glorify plantations as nostalgic sites of celebration is not an empowering one for the Black women and justice-minded people who use your site,” one letter addressed to The Knot Worldwide (owner of The Knot and WeddingWire) read, according to BuzzFeed.

    The letter continued, “Plantations are physical reminders of one of the most horrific human rights abuses the world has ever seen. The wedding industry routinely denies the violent conditions Black people faced under chattel slavery by promoting plantations as romantic places to marry."

    In 2014, Salon described plantation weddings as a “disturbing” trend, noting that certain venues inaccurately described former slaves as “workers” or glossed over the abuse, rape, and death inflicted upon enslaved people in the southern United States. One plantation owner interviewed by Salon said that her mostly-white clients “don’t express any sort of discomfort” with the land’s history.

    After pressure from COC, @Pinterest + @theknot are changing policies to stop promoting wedding content that romanticize slave plantations. They're “physical reminders of one of the most horrific human rights abuses the world has ever seen." @jadeyogunnaike https://t.co/3Rmf58qpPx

    — ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) December 4, 2019

    And last year, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds were slammed for their 2012 wedding at Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina, with a Twitter user reminding him, “U got married on a plantation,” after Reynolds promoted the Marvel film “Black Panther” on social media.

    Jade Magnus Ogunnaike, senior campaign director at Color of Change, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that some brides are drawn to plantation wedding themes to feel like Scarlett O’Hara, the Georgia heroine of the 1939 film, “Gone with the Wind.”

    “Our ancestors were raped in these spaces, so it calls for a larger conversation about how slavery is viewed,” Ogunnaike tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “These were forced labor camps.”

    And as Color of Change vice president Arisha Hatch told BuzzFeed, “If we were talking about concentration camps, it would be weird and disrespectful and egregious for folks to be seeking to have their weddings at these locations.” 

    According to BuzzFeed, The Knot Worldwide will not use language that romanticizes the history of plantations, such as “charming,” even on properties that dropped the word “plantation.” However, plantation owners will still qualify as vendors.

    A representative of The Knot tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “Color of Change brought an issue to light about the way venues with a history of slavery describe their properties to couples. Our goal is to ensure that the content of all of our vendors on our sites is respectful and considerate to everyone. We are in the process of reviewing all of our plantation venues and finalizing our guidelines. At The Knot Worldwide, we pride ourselves as a company by being inclusive to all — all sexes, genders, races, sexual orientations, religions, etc. By working with Color of Change, we can further this value by providing a respectful experience for all couples, pros, and employees.”

    A Pinterest spokesperson tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. Plantations represent none of those things. We are grateful to Color of Change for bringing attention to this disrespectful practice. We are working to limit the distribution of this content and accounts across our platform, and continue to not accept advertisements for them.”

    The Pinterest spokesperson added, “We've already started making changes, which include limiting the distribution of this content and accounts across Pinterest, including autocomplete, search recommendations, email notifications and SEO. People can still search for this content, but we now show an advisory that some results may violate our policies. We do not accept ads for these kinds of places and will continue not to. We also have taken steps to make sure that ads won't appear in results for ‘plantation weddings’ and other related searches.”

    Color of Change sent letters to Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, and the wedding company Zola, reported BuzzFeed. The campaign tells Yahoo Lifestyle that Brides has responded to its letter and requested a meeting this week.

    Zola, Brides, and Martha Stewart Weddings released statements to Yahoo Lifestyle on Thursday.

    Per Zola, the site "will not allow vendors to list who are plantations." The statement also read, “We recognize that this is a painful issue and have been evaluating on an ongoing basis. We appreciate Color of Change for bringing this issue forward, and will work with them and additional organizations to ensure our policies and guidelines are inclusive and make everyone feel welcome.”

    A Dotdash spokesperson (from the parent company of Brides) tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “Brides is an inclusive place where everyone can feel celebrated. Content glorifying plantations is not in line with our core values. We have removed these references and are actively working with Color of Change to evolve our guidelines to help ensure all our couples are supported, respected and inspired.”

    And a Martha Stewart Weddings representative tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “We thank Color of Change for bringing this valid concern to us. We feature how couples have chosen to wed and celebrate their special day. We will give this careful thought and attention.”

    This story was originally published on Dec. 4, 2019 at 8:08 p.m. ET and has been updated to include statements from Zola, Brides, and Martha Stewart Weddings.

    Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

    • Couple ditches floral bouquets for rescue puppies in adorable wedding ceremony

    • Firefighters save stranded bride by giving her and bridesmaid ride to her wedding

    • International Skating Union apologizes after nominating ‘offensive’ Auschwitz uniform for best costume

    Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share

    What to Read Next

    • Jordyn Woods' 'Red Table Talk' Lie Detector Test Results Are In

      Cosmopolitan
    • One drink a day may increase cancer risk, but this expert says you don’t need to stop

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Two Women Landed in the ER After Using a Vacuum to End Their Periods, According to a Nurse's Scary Viral Tweet

      Meredith Videos
    • Woman asked to leave American Airlines flight over ‘ironic’ T-shirt: ‘People usually laugh at it’

      In The Know
    • 10 unexpected gifts for the toughest people on your list you’ll only find on eBay

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Sweden's Royals Wore All the Tiaras at the Nobel Prize Ceremony

      Harper's Bazaar
    • Apparently, Kids Are Going Nuts for This Grocery Store Toy

      House Beautiful
    • Walmart Canada pulls 'Let It Snow' Christmas sweater featuring a cocaine-using Santa

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae Young Snap 'Family' Holiday Pic with Kids

      House Beautiful
    • Merriam-Webster declares 'they' its 2019 word of the year

      Associated Press
    • Michelle Obama weighs in on President Trump impeachment hearings: ‘It’s surreal’

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • 13 Clever Ways to Use Your Air Fryer

      MyRecipes
    • Today only at Walmart: A $20 heated blanket that plugs into your car, a $35 humidifier and more daily deals!

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • How birth control pills may be affecting women’s brains

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Listen up! You can save $50 on wireless Bose headphones right now

      In The Know
    • Bella Hadid is stunning in sheer white halter on the beach in St. Barts

      Yahoo Lifestyle Videos

    U.S. Attorney General Barr says FBI may have acted in 'bad faith' on Russia probe

    Ockham: Barr is Trump's dog. All you need to know about William Barr: Iran-Contra In late 1992, Independent Counsel Lawrence Walsh, who had been chosen to investigate the Iran–Contra affair, found documents in the possession of Reagan's former defense secretary, Caspar Weinberger, which Walsh said was "evidence of a conspiracy among the highest-ranking Reagan Administration officials to lie to Congress and the American public."[50][51] Weinberger was set to stand trial on felony charges on January 5, 1993.[50][52] His "indictment said Mr. Weinberger's notes contradicted Mr. Bush's assertions that he had only a fragmentary knowledge of the arms secretly sold to Iran in 1985 and 1986 in exchange for American hostages in Lebanon."[52][51][53] According to Walsh, then-president Bush might have been called as a witness.[54] On December 24, 1992, during his final month in office, Bush, on the advice of Barr, pardoned Weinberger,[11][55] along with five other administration officials who had been found guilty on charges relating to the Iran–Contra affair.[11][56][57][50] Barr was consulted extensively regarding the pardons, and especially advocated for pardoning Weinberger.[58] Walsh complained about the move insinuating that Bush on Barr's advice had used the pardons to avoid testifying and stating that: "The Iran-contra cover-up, which has continued for more than six years, has now been completed."[59] In 2003, he wrote an account of the investigation in his book, Firewall: The Iran-Contra Conspiracy and Cover-Up. Courtesy of THE TRUTH Because of this and Barr's unwillingness to appoint an independent counsel to look into a second scandal known as Iraqgate, New York Times writer William Safire began to refer to Barr as "Coverup-General Barr.

    Join the Conversation
    1 / 5

    628

    • 5 Science-Backed Ways to Lose Belly Fat

      Men's Health
    • Kaia Gerber Gives the It-Girl Bob a Sleek Update for 2020

      Vogue
    • I Only Ate Popeyes' Chicken Sandwich For A Week And Managed To Lose Weight In The Process

      Delish
    • For the First Time, Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Now Miss Universe Are All Black Women

      Glamour
    • David Harbour Says Hopper Had to Die in "Stranger Things 3" Because of His Daughter

      Seventeen
    • Scorpion Stings Passenger on United Airlines Flight to Atlanta

      Travel+Leisure
    • The 12…Make that 9 ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Couples Who Are Still Together

      PureWow
    • Jennifer Lopez Ripped Off Her Tuxedo on ‘SNL’ to Reveal Her Iconic Versace Dress

      PureWow
    • The Obamas Just Bought an $11.75 Million Beach Home on Martha’s Vineyard

      House Beautiful
    • I Tried the Hair Dye That Claims to Dye Dark Hair Bright Purple in 15 Minutes

      Good Housekeeping
    • Bella Hadid Just Hit the Beach in a Seriously Revealing One-Piece Swimsuit

      Harper's Bazaar
    • Chipotle Is Giving Out Free Burritos This Week

      Delish
    • Kendall Jenner's Nude Minidress Looks Like It's Dripping in Tinsel

      Harper's Bazaar
    • Kaia Gerber Is Closing Out 2019 With Her Shortest Haircut Yet

      InStyle
    • Melania Trump Wears Candy Cane Stripes With Red Slouch Boots at Toys for Tots Event

      Footwear News
    • A Brewery Pulled Cans Of Its Holiday Beer After Someone Complained The Reindeer On It Were NSFW

      Delish