Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has resigned from his position saying he should be replaced by a black candidate.

His decision to step down comes at a time when the US is witnessing widespread protests over the death of an unarmed African American, George Floyd, who died at the hands of the police.

In a tweet, Ohanian who co-founded the social networking site 15 years ago, announced his decision to resign, urging Reddit to fill his seat with a black candidate. He also pledged to donate the future gains on his Reddit stock to serve the black community, 'chiefly to curb racial hate'.

On his blog he wrote, “As a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: ‘What did you do?’ 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.”