Reddit has named venture capital investor Michael Seibel to its board, days after co-founder and former director Alexis Ohanian resigned and called for him to be replaced with a black candidate.
Ohanian’s resignation from the Reddit board came as protests for racial justice continue to rage across the US in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police.
He announced the move in a tweet, urging the company to hire a black candidate in his stead and promising his future gains on Reddit stock to serve the black community.
He wrote on Twitter;
“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.
I’m saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: “What did you do?”
I’ve resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, + I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to @kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp
I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership from people in power right now. To everyone fighting to fix our broken nation: do not stop.”
Responding to Ohanian’s request, Chief Executive Officer Steve Huffman said on Friday, “the unacceptable gap” between Reddit’s content policy and values has reduced the company’s effectiveness in combating hate and racism, and slowed down its response to problems.
“I want to thank Steve, Alexis, and the entire Reddit board for this opportunity. I’ve known Steve and Alexis since 2007 and have been a Reddit user ever since,” Seibel said in a statement.
“Over this period of time I’ve watched Reddit become part of the core fabric of the internet and I’m excited to help provide advice and guidance as Reddit continues to grow and tackle the challenges of bringing community and belonging to a broader audience.”
