Serena Williams‘ husband, Alexis Ohanian Sr., made a dramatic decision on June 5, announcing that he would be stepping down from his Reddit board seat and urging his co-workers to hire a Black candidate to replace him. The Reddit co-founder, 37, took to social media to share the news, posting a video to Instagram. “I co-founded [Reddit] 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging,” Alexis began the statement and the caption to his post, which you can see below.
“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?'” Alexis and Serena share their adorable two-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., who has been prominently featured on both parents’ social media accounts. “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, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to [Colin Kaepernick‘s] [Know Your Rights Camp].
Before concluding his statement, Alexis shared with his over 620 thousand followers, “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.” Alexis’ shocking decision comes amid continued peaceful protests and rallies for the Black Lives Matter movement across the nation, following the deaths of three unarmed Black citizens — George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.
Alexis Ohanian Sr. married 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in November 2017. The couple welcomed their daughter, whom they lovingly refer to by her middle name, Olympia, in September 2017, two months before their wedding. Since marriage and parenthood, Alexis has been an outspoken advocate of paid parental leave. Now, he and his inspiring wife are forging a brighter future for their beloved daughter.
