Reddit’s co-founder Alexis Ohanian resigned his seat on the internet forum’s board of directors and asked the company to fill it with a black board member.
He said the best example he can set for other leaders is to quit the social network company.
Ohanian is married to and has a child with tennis champion Serena Williams.
He said his family is one of the reasons he made the decision.
In a series of tweets Friday Ohanian said he’s saying this “as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: What did you do?”
Ohanian said he will use all future earnings from his Reddit stock to help the black community.
He also pledged one million dollars to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s nonprofit Know Your Rights Camp.
Kaepernick famously knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality.
Reddit said it would honor Ohanian’s request to fill his seat on the company’s five person board with a diverse choice.
Wednesday Reddit named venture capital investor Michael Seibel to its board.
The company’s CEO admitted the company has work to do.
Reddit has faced criticism in the past for allowing racist and hate speech on some of its forums.
Posted – 6.10.20