The co –founder and former CEO of social network firm Reedit, Alexis Ohanian stepped down from the company’s board as the U.S. roils with nationwide protests against police brutality after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, an unarmed black man. Ohanian is calling on the company he founded to fill his position with a black board member, a high-profile step for a company with its own rocky track record around issues of race.

“I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership from people in power right now,” Ohanian said in his announcement. “To everyone fighting to fix our broken nation: do not stop.”

Following Ohanian’s post on Reddit, the company’s Chief Executive Steve Huffman said the company would honor his request and is working to strengthen its content policy to combat racist speech on its platform. Ohanian’s decision to step down comes at a time when the United States is witnessing widespread protests against racism and police brutality after an unarmed African American, George Floyd, died at the hands of the police. His death has reignited debates over diversity in America’s corporate boardrooms and content moderation practices on social media.

Huffman wrote in a post on the site that “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.

Several Republican lawmakers wrote to Huffman last week criticizing what they called his censorship of the The Donald.  Internet entrepreneur Ohanian, who is married to American tennis player Serena Williams, also pledged $1 million to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, a campaign for legal awareness among youth.

With the decision, Ohanian also announced that future gains of his company stock would be invested in the black community, “chiefly to curb racial hate.” That amount could total to around $50 million, according to reliable sources. His first move will be to give $1 million to Know Your Rights Camp, an organization founded by Colin Kaepernick that focuses on self-empowerment and safety for black and brown communities.

Source- Reuters