Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian quits board, asks to be replaced by black candidate

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has announced that he’s quitting the company board and has asked to be replaced by a black candidate. This was Ohanian’s way of showing support for the ongoing protests that have taken over the US. Ohanian announced his decision over a video he’s shared on Instagram, a post on his site and through a bunch of tweets.

“I co-founded @reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging. It is long overdue to do the right thing. I’m doing this for me, for my family, and for my country," Ohanian tweeted.

“I’m saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: ‘What did you do?’," he added.

He’s also said that he will be using the money he makes from his stocks to “serve the black community”.

Ohanian, who is married to tennis star Serena Williams, said that a resignation can be seen as an “act of leadership" from people in power and urged protestors to not stop fighting for their cause.

Ohanian’s resignation comes less than a week after former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao called out the current CEO Steve Huffman for not shutting down a subreddit that has been promoting Donald Trump. Pao quoted a letter Huffman had written to employees stating that the platform does not tolerate hate, violence and racism.

“I am obligated to call you out: You should have shut down the_donald instead of amplifying it and its hate, racism, and violence. So much of what is happening now lies at your feet. You don't get to say BLM when reddit nurtures and monetizes white supremacy and hate all day long," Pao wrote on Twitter.

Reddit’s decision to not ban posts glorifying Trump have also been called out by various Reddit users. The platform advocates free speech and has often been used by protestors and groups to spread their message.

While some platforms like Facebook have been facing ample backlash from employees for their stance on the current situation in the US and for not pulling down the US president’s posts, the likes of Twitter and Snapchat have made their stance very clear.