Alexis Ohanian Sr, a co-founder of the social news website Reddit, has resigned amid massive protests over George Floyd’s killing. He urged for his position to be filled by a black person, and for other white CEOs to follow suit.
Ohanian, Reddit’s executive head also known by the username kn0thing, announced his decision in a statement on his website, as well as in a series of Twitter posts and a video he published on Instagram. “I co-founded Reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging,” he said, adding that his resignation was “the right thing” and has been “long overdue.”
“I’m doing this for me, for my family, and for my country,” said the entrepreneur, who is married to professional tennis player Serena Williams. The two have a daughter, and Ohanian said his decision was particularly influenced by the fact that he would have to “answer his black daughter when she asks: ‘What did you do?’”
The businessman did not stop at simply resigning, though. In his statement, he also noted that he “argued” with the rest of the board to fill his seat with a black candidate, and vowed to donate all his future gains on his Reddit stock to the black community “to curb racial hate.” Ohanian also said that the first $1 million tranche would go to the Know Your Rights Camp initiative launched by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.
“I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership from people in power right now,” Ohanian said, while calling on “everyone fighting to fix our broken nation” not to stop.
The move came as the US has been engulfed by massive anti-police brutality and anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African American killed in custody. While many demonstrations have been peaceful, often they have spiraled into violent clashes with police, vandalism and looting.
The Reddit co-founder is certainly not alone in his desire to demonstrate solidarity with the protesters. Other companies and public figures rushed to show their adherence to the cause in all sorts of ways.
Celebrities like John Legend and Jane Fonda promptly signed a petition calling for the police to be deprived of state funding in response to Floyd’s killing while others like Seth Rogen donated money to bail-out funds that get protesters out of jail. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spent a full minute kneeling and sobbing at Floyd’s casket during a memorial service, although not everyone bought into the emotional scene.
Even the toymaker LEGO asked shops to hide sets related to police and the White House in the wake of the protests. Other companies like Disney, Netflix or HBO mostly limited themselves to issuing statements voicing their solidarity with the protesters and the black community in general.
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