Alexis Ohanian has resigned from the Reddit board and urged the company to replace him with a black candidate.
On Friday, the Reddit co-founder and husband of Serena Williams announced he was stepping down from the company he helped create after 15 years to “do the right thing”.
“I co-founded Reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging,” Ohanian wrote on Twitter. “It is long overdue to do the right thing. I’m doing this for me, for my family, and for my country.”
According to Ohanian, his and William’s daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr was an important factor in his decision to step back from the company he co-founded in 2005.
“I’m writing this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: ‘What did you do?’” he explained, adding: “I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership from people in power right now. To everyone fighting to fix our broken nation: do not stop.”
In addition to requesting his role be filled by a black candidate, Ohanian also said he would be using future gains on his Reddit stock to “serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate,” starting with a pledge of $1m to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.
The 37-year-old’s resignation comes as people around the world continue to protest police brutality and racism in the US following the death of George Floyd.
On social media, Ohanian’s announcement was met with support. “This is a huge leadership move. Thank you,” one person tweeted, while another said: “Bravo and thank you. I'm sure your daughter will appreciate it when she's old enough to understand.”
