Ashley Allison, a nationally recognized political strategist, communications expert, CNN commentator, and former Obama-Biden White House official, is making history. On Thursday, Allison announced that her company, Watering Hole Media, has acquired The Root, making the Black news and culture outlet Black-owned!
The Root, founded in 2008 by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and former Washington Post Company chairman Donald E. Graham, has long been a pioneering space for news and commentary by and for Black America. At its launch, The Washington Post reported the site would serve as “a 21st-century version of a national Black newspaper.”
Now, Allison’s acquisition feels like a full-circle moment for the publication that has contributed to conversations about race, culture, and politics for over 15 years.
“This isn’t about making more content but rather about making meaning of this moment,” Allison said in a press release shared with theGrio. “The Root has always been about preserving culture and creating clarity in a world full of distractions. Owning the power to tell our own stories is a rich tradition The Root is committed to upholding.”
Allison, who also served as National Coalitions Director for the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign, has built her career amplifying diverse voices and navigating the intersections of politics, policy, and culture. Now, she plans to expand The Root’s impact through investments in video content, partnerships with thought leaders, and in-person experiences for its readers.
“I am so very proud of Ashley Allison for leading The Root into its next exciting chapter,” enthused Professor Gates, who was not only a co-founder, but a minority owner of The Root. “When Donald and I launched The Root, my vision was to create a platform to showcase the full complexity of Black life with depth, intelligence, and, most importantly, unapologetic honesty. Too often, legacy mainstream outlets treat Black stories as an afterthought, treating an entire community of people as if they are a sidebar. The Root needed to be a front page in its own right. A platform where our history, our culture, and our politics were not only centered, but elevated.”
Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change and a longtime leader in the racial justice space, who will serve as a strategic advisor to Watering Hole Media and The Root’s team added: “This is an exciting moment in the media landscape, with so much potential to make Black voices an even stronger force in the big fights taking place in our country right now. The Root provides an infrastructure for growing Black talent and supports a drumbeat of reporting on issues that would not otherwise gain momentum. I’m excited to be part of its next chapter.”
The sale from G/O Media, a private equity-backed digital media company, places The Root’s future firmly in the hands of Black leadership once again, or as Gates put it “returns The Roots to its roots.”
