Celebrity News June 05, 2020
Alexis Ohanian Resigns from Reddit Board and Campaigns for Black Candidate to Take His Place
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Tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian is stepping down from the board of Reddit.
Ohanian announced the news Friday, saying, "Fifteen years ago I co-founded Reddit as a place for people to find community and a sense of belonging,” adding, "It is long overdue to do the right thing."
Alexis is married to Serena Williams and they have a 2-year-old daughter named Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
The 37-year-old went on to explain that he needed to do this for his daughter. "I'm saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks, 'What did you do?'" Ohanian said. "So, I have resigned as a member of the Reddit board. I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, and I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate."
He didn't stop there, adding, "And I'm starting with a pledge of $1 million to Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp. I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership from people in power right now, and to everyone fighting to fix our broken nation, do not stop."
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Ohanian's announcement comes in the wake of George Floyd's death, which sparked outrage around the country. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died last Monday shortly after being arrested for a non-violent act in Minneapolis. Video of the arrest shows white police officer Derek Chauvin with his knee on Floyd's neck as Floyd says he can't breathe and pleads for help. Chauvin and the other three officers involved have been fired, arrested, and are facing charges in Floyd's death.
Alexis also posted a video from 2016 of a young girl speaking out about racism that Serena had shared a few days ago.
Williams wrote at the time, "I can't and still can't find the words to say or express how sad I feel.... but she found them for me. She found them for so many of us. A lot of us are numb... lost for words... I know I am. This is a difficult time."
The tennis star continued, "A lot of us growing up were taught to pray 'Let thy kingdom come,' this is what I continue to pray for in addition to so many that have been hurt/killed, or simply traumatized by how people of a different color are treated. The worst part is this is nothing new, 'it's just filmed.' I'm with a heavy heart. I'm lost for words."
