The Root
The Root, one of the most influential digital platforms dedicated to Black news, culture, and thought, is coming home. For the first time in years, the trailblazing publication is returning to Black ownership — and its new chapter is being shaped by a woman who knows the power of purpose-driven media.
Ashley Allison, a respected Democratic strategist, CNN commentator, and longtime advocate for equity and representation, announced she is acquiring The Root from G/O Media. Her new company, Watering Hole Media, will now oversee the site’s operations, marking a significant moment in the evolving landscape of Black media ownership.
Allison’s vision for The Root goes beyond headlines and clicks. She plans to invest in video storytelling, deepen partnerships with thought leaders, and bring the brand’s sharp online commentary into physical spaces through live events and reader experiences. For her, this is not about expansion for expansion’s sake — it’s about impact.
“This isn’t about making more content but rather about making meaning of this moment,” Allison said, describing an era when “journalism is under attack and audiences are seeking independent sources for news.” Her words reflect both a media philosophy and a mission: to restore trust and depth to platforms that have historically spoken truth to power.
Before becoming a media owner, Allison served in the Obama White House and later as the national coalitions director for the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign. With The Root, she’s stepping into a different kind of leadership — one rooted in culture, community, and the fight for narrative sovereignty.
Founded in 2008 by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Donald E. Graham, The Root was envisioned as “a 21st-century version of a national Black newspaper.” From the start, it carved out a space for intelligent, unapologetic commentary that married academic rigor with digital immediacy — a modern continuation of the Black press legacy that stretches back generations.
Over the years, The Root’s ownership journey has reflected the challenges and possibilities of Black media in a corporate world. Univision acquired it in 2015, hoping to build a multicultural digital empire, but that plan fizzled. By 2019, the publication was sold to Great Hill Partners, the private equity firm behind G/O Media, where it continued to publish but sometimes struggled to maintain its original cultural edge.
G/O Media’s CEO Jim Spanfeller described The Root as “a truly powerful and important voice in Black America.” Yet even under corporate stewardship, the question lingered: how can Black storytelling remain authentic when controlled by those outside the culture? Allison’s acquisition offers an answer — by reclaiming it.
Dr. Gates, who co-founded the site and still symbolizes its intellectual DNA, praised the move and Allison’s leadership. “She is returning The Root to its roots,” he said, underscoring the cultural and symbolic importance of this transition.
For Allison, ownership is both a business decision and a statement of belief. “The Root has always been about preserving culture and creating clarity in a world full of distractions,” she said. “Owning the power to tell our own stories is a rich tradition The Root is committed to upholding.”
Her purchase is more than a media deal — it’s a reclamation of voice, a return to purpose, and a reminder of how vital Black media remains in shaping the national conversation. As The Root turns the page, it does so with a renewed promise to its readers: that the stories, struggles, and brilliance of Black America will continue to be told by those who live them.
Under Allison’s leadership, The Root’s next chapter stands to blend legacy with innovation — rooted in truth, powered by vision, and committed, as always, to the culture.
