Last week, Alexis shocked the world with the announcement that he will be stepping down from the board of directors to show support for the black community. The tech founder said that he hopes that his position will be filled by a black candidate who’s more deserving of the title than he is.
This was a big move considering that Ohanian has been with his company’s board since 2005 when he first co-founded the app. He made an announcement last week that he wanted to play his role in helping the black community break through the glass ceiling and get more executive jobs.
In his emotional statement, Ohanian said that he wanted to make this sacrifice not just for his community but also for his family’s future. He further stated that he wanted his daughter to grow up knowing that her father had actually done something for the black community at a time when it needed his support the most.
So proud of your commitment to not just me but to “us” https://t.co/kVUaJZoe7v
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 5, 2020
Ohanian didn’t just resign from his position at the company, he also urged the board to make the right decision in the wake of his resignation and choose a person of color to serve as Reddit’s future chairman. But he didn’t stop there. The cofounder also vowed to donate the earnings from his shares in the company for the betterment of the black community.
Ohanian has already pledged $1 million to the cause and promises to continue his support in the future. He doesn’t believe that resignation is synonymous with quitting. Instead, it’s a sign of great leadership and courage, because it’s not easy to step back and allow people who are capable to come into power.
His efforts were lauded by millions of people, including his own wife, Williams, who made several tweets to applaud Ohanian’s decision and thank him for his commitments to the black community and his family. The tennis superstar also said that their two-year-old daughter will also grow up to be as proud of her father as everyone else.
https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1268963084175097864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1268963084175097864&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Fserena-williams-reddit-alexis-ohanian-leaving-company-board-response-2020-6
Ohanian’s actions followed a nation-wide criticism against Reddit for its lack of censorship against racist and harmful content that has contributed to the spread of hatred and misinformation. Even his own wife, Williams, has opened up about her experience with racism, although she asserted that she would never want to be any other color.