Reddit co-founder and board member, Alexis Ohanian has announced that he will be stepping down from his position on the board of the social news aggregation website. He has cited his reasons as being in support of the ensuing worldwide protests for racial equality.
I've resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, + I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to @kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp
— Alexis Ohanian ?? (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020
Ohanian has further made the request for his position to be filled by a black candidate. He states that he founded the website in 2005 with the express purpose of helping people build communities and find a sense of belonging. To that end, Reddit has grown in leaps and bounds, facilitating individuals in finding like-minded peers and connecting with those who share similar interests. However, over the years, the tendency for the platform to be used by people with less-than-admirable intentions has not gone unnoticed.
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.https://t.co/LWI1OnCaVi
— Alexis Ohanian ?? (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020
Ohanian has further stated that gains made from Reddit stock will be put towards curbing racial hate and inequality. He has pledged an amount of $1M towards Know Your Rights Camp, a campaign to raise awareness on citizen’s rights and self-empowerment, funded by former American football player and civil rights activist, Colin Kaepernick.
