MD Reddit Co-Founder Quits Board, Vows To Support Black Community

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Reddit co-founder and former Maryland resident Alexis Ohanian announced on Twitter Friday that he would be stepping down from his company's board of directors and asked specifically to be replaced by a black candidate. He also vowed to donate money to help the black community, starting with $1 million to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.

The Howard High School graduate started Reddit 15 years ago to "help people find community and a sense of belonging."

Ohanian and his wife, tennis star Serena Williams, have a daughter together who is the driving force behind Ohanian's decision.

"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 tweeted. "It is long overdue to do the right thing. I’m doing this for me, for my family and for my country."

Two days before his declaration, several popular subreddits went private and others banned new posts to protest the company's hate speech policies. Moderators of some of the site's largest communities called out Ohanian's co-founder, CEO Steve Huffman, for not taking action against racism and communities like r/The_Donald, its pro-Trump subreddit.

Protests have been held across the country in the wake of Floyd's death. Many have been peaceful; some have escalated into unrest. Other well-known individuals and celebrities have spoken out against Floyd's death and police brutality including former First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Barack Obama, Beyonce, LeBron James, Rihanna and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged in Floyd's death. He now faces a second-degree murder charge. The three police officers involved in Floyd's arrest, Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, were each charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, according to court records.

I co-founded @reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging.⁰

It is long overdue to do the right thing. I’m doing this for me, for my family, and for my country.
— Alexis Ohanian Sr. (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020