Ashley Allison Returns 'The Root' To Black Ownership
Back To The Roots: Ashley Allison Returns ‘The Root’ To Black Ownership
Ashley Allison, a political strategist, CNN commentator, and former senior official in the Obama and Biden administrations, is gearing up to acquire The Root from G/O Media, a media company backed by private equity. The move marks a significant return of the trailblazing digital outlet to Black ownership since its 2008 founding.
Who is Ashley Allison?
According to The Root, Allison is purchasing the platform through her new company, Watering Hole Media. With a career rooted in political strategy and cultural communications, Allison has long championed efforts to amplify underrepresented voices. The titan brings more than 15 years of experience to the role; she served as a former senior staffer in both the Obama-Biden administration and the Biden-Harris campaign, leading coalition efforts that mobilized one of the most diverse voter bases in history. Allison also served as Executive Vice President of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and was a senior advisor in the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement, where she championed racial equity and civil rights across policy and organizing for years.
For Allison, this acquisition is about far more than business.
“This isn’t about making more content but rather about making meaning of this moment,” Allison said during an interview on Oct. 2. “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.”
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The Root’s history:
Founded in 2008 by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. and former Washington Post publisher Donald E. Graham, the Root was envisioned as a modern news outlet with the depth, legacy, and cultural force of historic Black publications like the Chicago Defender, the Amsterdam News, and The Crisis, the NAACP’s iconic journal led by W.E.B. Du Bois. At a time when most Black media outlets were still focused on print, and before the rise of platforms like HuffPost Black Voices and theGrio, The Root emerged as one of the first major digital publications dedicated to centering Black voices, experiences, and history.
Throughout its evolution, the site has played a critical role in Black public discourse. With commentary from figures like Ta-Nehisi Coates, Melissa Harris-Perry, Marc Lamont Hill, Jemele Hill, Cornel West, and Demetria Lucas, the Root offered both gravitas and wit. Its cultural coverage, including the annual Root 100 list and the irreverent Very Smart Brothas column by Damon Young and Panama Jackson, helped build a space where complex political conversations lived comfortably alongside pop culture analysis and everyday Black life.
For Allison, the next chapter involves re-investing in the Root’s original mission. She plans to grow the outlet through expanded video content, strategic partnerships, and in-person experiences designed to engage its community on a deeper level, CNN reported.
The acquisition comes at a critical time for the political strategist. Allison said that this purchase is about protecting the freedom to tell the truth, especially at a time when Black history is being challenged and the First Amendment feels increasingly fragile.
“It’s time to stand in courage, to be unapologetic about who we are as Black people, the role we have played in this country, and the role we will continue to play. The Root is not going to shy away from the hard stories, the hard questions, and the hard answers,” Allison added. “We will be a place that tells the truth, helps make sense of the moment, and guides people to resources that help them make the best decisions possible.”
Henry Louis Gates Jr. has since praised Allison “for returning The Root to its roots.”
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