Serena Williams Steps Up For Vital Voices; Alexis Ohanian Sr. Resigns Reddit Board
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Tennis legend, black activist, fashion designer — and yes, now venture capitalist — Serena Williams became the global spokeswoman for Stuart Weitzman in early May. Photographer Ethan James Green captures Serena in campaign images that present her fierce power and beauty unbowed.
The power of the project for Serena lies in Stuart Weitzman’s alliance with the Vital Voices Global Partnership Tapped to choose two women leaders to participate with her in the campaign, Williams tapped Ashlee Wisdom and Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno. Wisdom is the founder of Health in Her Hue, a platform that connects black women to culturally competent health-care providers. Ke’alohilani Quiamno, founder of Future for Us, a civic organization that gives women of color the tools to succeed in the highest levels of corporate and social-sector careers.
“Sage is an incredible pay-equality advocate. Future for Us not only provides tools to support people of color, but it also works with the companies that employ them,” she says. “They create environments where womxn are able to thrive. To me, that ensures continued growth and economic development, and you don’t see a lot of people doing that.”
“Ashlee is so experienced in public health. Her advisory firm connects executives, investors, and founders with different perspectives, and things they need to become champions in the digital health [space],” she says. “Her platform is committed to the health and well-being of black women, and with everything that I’ve gone through with health care, I know how important that is.”
The story of Serena’s life and achievements inspire many. And we all hope deeply that she has another tremendous season of winning tennis ahead of her — challenging as that would be.
Alexis Ohanian Sr. Resigns from Reddit Board
It’s Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian Sr.that made the big news today — June 8 — as word of his resignation from the board of directors of Reddit traveled through media channels. The co-founder of Reddit recommended that his spot be filled by a Black candidate amid activists’ calls for more representation of BlPOC in positions of power in global companies.
"I co-founded Reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging," Ohanian wrote across his social media channels, pulling from a blog post on his site. "It is long overdue to do the right thing. I'm doing this for me, for my family, and for my country." Along with the statement to the public, Ohanian embedded a video message from his Instagram account onto his blog entry, and in it he reiterates his original statement.
At the crux of Ohanian's resignation is the simple question, "What did you do?" which he explains stems from the fact that, "as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter," he wants to do everything he can to fight racial injustice in the United States.
Ohanian also pledged to use his future gains from shares of Reddit to "curb racial hate," beginning with a $1 million donation to Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp. Acknowledging that his resignation was only a start, Serena Williams’ husband finished his post with directions to those on the frontlines of the Black Lives Matter movement:
