WEBVTT - INTERVIEW: Ashley Allison On Acquiring 'The Root', Cultural Impact, The Root 100 List + More

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<v Speaker 1>Hold every day. The Breakfast Club finish for y'all.

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<v Speaker 2>Done morning.

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<v Speaker 3>Everybody is DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the guy. We

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<v Speaker 3>are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in

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<v Speaker 3>the building. Yes, indeed you have Ashley Allison.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome, Welcome. How are you feeling this morning?

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<v Speaker 4>I feel really good. I'm excited to be back, happy.

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<v Speaker 1>To have you back. That's congratulations on acquiring the route.

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<v Speaker 5>Yes, and I have something I want to congratulate you

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<v Speaker 5>all on as well. Okay, so today we are announcing

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<v Speaker 5>the Route one hundred the first time I'm announcing this

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<v Speaker 5>list as the publisher, and the Breakfast Club is on

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<v Speaker 5>our list. Wow, thank you so much, Thank you for

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<v Speaker 5>all you all do.

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<v Speaker 4>Have the ear of the people.

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<v Speaker 5>We have some gifts for the guys from Ourtel, our

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<v Speaker 5>sponsors and yeah, you know the blue swift.

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<v Speaker 4>Okay, thank you very We have one for you.

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<v Speaker 2>Envy.

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<v Speaker 4>We have your beautiful flowers over there.

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<v Speaker 5>Yes, I thought you were going to be here, but

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<v Speaker 5>we have some flowers waiting for you for when you

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<v Speaker 5>come back to the office.

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<v Speaker 4>Everyone go to the route dot com and see.

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<v Speaker 5>Who else is on the one hundred comes out the

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<v Speaker 5>date today, People to know why we're breaking news here, dope.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you very much.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, what made you reacquire the roots?

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<v Speaker 1>What was so not reacquired?

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<v Speaker 3>Well to acquire the reots because it reacquire from you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it was it was black owned and then other and

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<v Speaker 3>now it's back black owned.

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<v Speaker 2>What made you say this is something that we need

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<v Speaker 2>back in our culture.

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<v Speaker 5>Well, I started my company, watering Hole Media, back in

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<v Speaker 5>two thousand and nine and the Route started in two

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<v Speaker 5>thousand and eight, and Watering Hole really was aspirational to what.

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<v Speaker 4>The Route was doing. And so when we relaunched two

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<v Speaker 4>years ago.

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<v Speaker 5>Watering Hole, I knew I wanted to acquire some digital

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<v Speaker 5>properties and divine timing. Honestly, the route was on the

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<v Speaker 5>short list and it came available this summer and you

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<v Speaker 5>know how like you see something, you're like, that's mine.

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<v Speaker 4>Yep, it's mine.

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<v Speaker 5>That's my assignment. That's what happened with the roote, and

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<v Speaker 5>so my team hustled. We got it done on the face,

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<v Speaker 5>but there's a lot of people behind that got it done.

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<v Speaker 5>And it all so is in a time when we

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<v Speaker 5>need to have places to tell our stories and tell

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<v Speaker 5>them our way and through our lens unapologetically black, and

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<v Speaker 5>I always say Black stories are American stories, and American

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<v Speaker 5>stories are global stories, and we deserve to have ownership

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<v Speaker 5>over them.

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<v Speaker 6>I'm glad you acquired Rout because the other time I

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<v Speaker 6>hated the Root and I hated the Route because.

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<v Speaker 2>I was I was gonna sayunt you were ahead.

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<v Speaker 6>They used to poll so much negative stories about us

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<v Speaker 6>and just you know, even people that that I actually

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<v Speaker 6>love and appreciate.

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<v Speaker 1>And I remember somebody from the Route reached.

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<v Speaker 6>Out to me and literally told me that they tried

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<v Speaker 6>to run a very positive story about I think it

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<v Speaker 6>was me and Nick Cannon actually, and they were They

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<v Speaker 6>were told that whoever it was was like, absolutely not.

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<v Speaker 7>It's the work you guys do behind the scenes.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes it was.

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<v Speaker 6>It was a story about the work me and Nick

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<v Speaker 6>Cannon do behind the scenes. This was like four or

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<v Speaker 6>five years ago. And somebody after it was like, absolutely not.

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<v Speaker 4>It's a new day. It's a new don And I'm

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<v Speaker 4>feeling good, right.

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<v Speaker 7>How do you feel right now?

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<v Speaker 8>Because I saw Vibe merge with Rolling Stone, people were

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<v Speaker 8>really pissed about that a lot of black people lost

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<v Speaker 8>their jobs because of that. Team Vote just announced that

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<v Speaker 8>they're going onto Vogue dot Com. A lot of people

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<v Speaker 8>of color lost their jobs right now. It feels like

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<v Speaker 8>there is a like a not targeted attack, but like

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<v Speaker 8>just we're losing a lot.

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<v Speaker 7>Of our places to tell stories.

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<v Speaker 8>So there's a lot of focus on the places that

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<v Speaker 8>are still running, like the route in all these other places. Right,

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<v Speaker 8>do you feel like there's a pressure to make this

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<v Speaker 8>work because we're getting taken out everywhere else?

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<v Speaker 5>I feel a pressure and a responsibility because of what

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<v Speaker 5>the route is in our community and can be.

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<v Speaker 4>And I think telling.

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<v Speaker 5>Black stories requires due diligence and responsibility.

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<v Speaker 4>Also that people are losing their jobs.

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<v Speaker 5>I mean three hundred thousand black women are out of

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<v Speaker 5>work right now. So there's a global store a national

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<v Speaker 5>story right now about unemployment and people struggling. So journalism

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<v Speaker 5>is just one piece of that big part.

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<v Speaker 4>And yes, like I want now, what happened in the

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<v Speaker 4>past is in the past.

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<v Speaker 5>And the second day after we announced the acquisition, I

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<v Speaker 5>told folks we will not be perfect, because no human is,

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<v Speaker 5>and so, but we will have a standard of excellence

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<v Speaker 5>and in telling stories you all know, you all get

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<v Speaker 5>you know, backlash some times for some of the covers

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<v Speaker 5>this struggle, but ownership.

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<v Speaker 1>If I didn't, I'm like, did they hear me?

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<v Speaker 4>But I think we.

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<v Speaker 5>Always sit here. I come from politics, right, and we

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<v Speaker 5>always say black people are not a monolith. So I

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<v Speaker 5>need to make sure I'm telling multiple.

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<v Speaker 4>Stories through multiple lenses. And so you might not.

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<v Speaker 5>Always agree with what we cover on the route and

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<v Speaker 5>our position on the route, but you will think about

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<v Speaker 5>what we cover and it that is. I just think

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<v Speaker 5>iron sharpens iron, and black people deserve to have multitudes

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<v Speaker 5>of opinions.

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<v Speaker 1>What does success look like for you?

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<v Speaker 4>I want to grow our audience.

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<v Speaker 5>We have about ten million people that come to our

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<v Speaker 5>website monthly, which is massive, so I want to double

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<v Speaker 5>that within a year. We're going to be moving the

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<v Speaker 5>video while still respecting the written word.

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<v Speaker 4>So we'll do all writing.

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<v Speaker 5>We'll to you to do writing, but for most written pieces,

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<v Speaker 5>we'll also have a video component. Our audience is predominantly black,

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<v Speaker 5>but it's not all black, and so I want the

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<v Speaker 5>root again. It is a black publication, but black stories

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<v Speaker 5>are American stories.

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<v Speaker 4>And so when you.

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<v Speaker 5>Want to know what's going on in the culture, when

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<v Speaker 5>you want to know what's going on in politics, when

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<v Speaker 5>you want to know what's going on in sports, and entertainment.

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<v Speaker 5>You can go to the Root as a trusted source,

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<v Speaker 5>just like you may go to a more typical mainstream

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<v Speaker 5>media applan.

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<v Speaker 2>I was going to ask that.

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<v Speaker 3>I was going to say, you know, one time the

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<v Speaker 3>Route was I feel like at the forefront of everything, Yes,

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<v Speaker 3>and it slowed down a lot and became behind the scenes.

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<v Speaker 2>How do you get it back to the forefront?

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<v Speaker 3>And with the world of fake news and nobody knowing

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<v Speaker 3>who to trust, and people are trusting people that are

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<v Speaker 3>putting out random stories, how do people can come to

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<v Speaker 3>the Route and say, I know this is my trusted source,

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<v Speaker 3>I know that these stories are real. I know that

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<v Speaker 3>this is a place where I can actually trust and

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<v Speaker 3>loves my community.

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<v Speaker 5>Well, I think you have to be true to yourself too, right,

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<v Speaker 5>You can't be all things to everybody. So I have

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<v Speaker 5>to know who I want to be as a publisher,

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<v Speaker 5>and that is telling unapologetic black stories.

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<v Speaker 4>That's the first thing.

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<v Speaker 5>The second thing is that we think there's a place

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<v Speaker 5>for journalism and fact checking, but at.

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<v Speaker 4>A speed that allows people.

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<v Speaker 5>The reason why I think folks are so susceptible to

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<v Speaker 5>missing disinformation is the speed at which it comes in.

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<v Speaker 4>So we're gonna have to scale our team.

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<v Speaker 5>We have a great set of journalists right now, but

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<v Speaker 5>it's still a very small team, So looking at growing

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<v Speaker 5>our footprint just even in a new a digital newsroom.

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<v Speaker 4>And then we also want to have commentary, right so.

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<v Speaker 5>We're in a world where everybody's opinion appears to be

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<v Speaker 5>fact and that's just not the case. And so we

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<v Speaker 5>have a do no harm approach. So again, I don't

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<v Speaker 5>have to agree with everything you say, but you cannot

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<v Speaker 5>cause harm to black people and have a home at

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<v Speaker 5>the route.

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<v Speaker 6>I also say, you know, you don't really me personally.

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<v Speaker 6>I don't really care about something to tell who's attached

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<v Speaker 6>to it.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's right now.

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<v Speaker 6>I found out that you was the owner, I was like, oh,

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<v Speaker 6>so I looked under the hood. I had no idea

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<v Speaker 6>Root was found out by doctor Henry Lewis Gate.

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<v Speaker 5>Yes, yes, yes, And I called him a couple days

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<v Speaker 5>before the announcement and he was just over the top elated.

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<v Speaker 5>He's like, oh my gosh, it's like you have my child,

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<v Speaker 5>and I'm like, and I will take great care of it.

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<v Speaker 5>And it's like they're in college now, and so we're

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<v Speaker 5>like college roommates almost, and so I hope to grow

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<v Speaker 5>with it. It's been around for seventeen years. The responsibility

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<v Speaker 5>I feel is that if in seventeen years it's not

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<v Speaker 5>stronger and more dominant, then I have not met my all.

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<v Speaker 6>I would love to know what was his original vision

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<v Speaker 6>for the Root.

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<v Speaker 1>Henry Lewis Cage is a very serious person.

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<v Speaker 5>Maybe you could go to the Root dot com pretty

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<v Speaker 5>soon and find that story. I definitely, because I think

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<v Speaker 5>the other thing is I'm not a student of history,

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<v Speaker 5>but I like to study history, and it's really.

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<v Speaker 4>Important to understand why was it founded?

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<v Speaker 5>Think about when that was two thousand and eight, Barack

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<v Speaker 5>Obama is just reelected. It's what people could say was

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<v Speaker 5>like a watershed moment in our political history. Will someonet

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<v Speaker 5>argue right now, that's where we're at in this moment,

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<v Speaker 5>and what is the intervention we need to start to

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<v Speaker 5>set the course and turn the course. And so it

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<v Speaker 5>was founded in an important time, it was reclaimed back

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<v Speaker 5>to black ownership in an important time, and so I

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<v Speaker 5>want to study what he did. I want to understand

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<v Speaker 5>what he did while also thinking about what's tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 4>What tomorrow it needs to deliver for.

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<v Speaker 2>People who on this list. And you mentioned the breakfast level.

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<v Speaker 4>To go to the Army on the list, so it's

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<v Speaker 4>one hundred people.

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<v Speaker 5>So one of the things I actually decided to do

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<v Speaker 5>was remove the rankings.

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<v Speaker 7>I always look at the list.

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<v Speaker 5>Yeah, well I just want to say I was never

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<v Speaker 5>on the list.

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<v Speaker 7>I just got.

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<v Speaker 4>So I would look and the route.

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<v Speaker 5>Actually the list has been very aspirational for me because

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<v Speaker 5>I learned about a job that I eventually had at

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<v Speaker 5>the White House from the roote one hundred. You know,

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<v Speaker 5>they don't like post those jobs on the website. So

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<v Speaker 5>I've really built my career from interventions from that publication.

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<v Speaker 5>So it really does have a special part in my story.

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<v Speaker 5>But we decided as a team to remove the rankings

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<v Speaker 5>because in a moment that we are in right now,

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<v Speaker 5>everybody on the list is exceptional in what they do

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<v Speaker 5>and it doesn't matter if you're one or one hundred,

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<v Speaker 5>you're doing it. And so so why be like, well,

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<v Speaker 5>where was I on the list and where why wasn't

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<v Speaker 5>I higher than this person? It's a collective and the

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<v Speaker 5>only way we get out of this moment is if

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<v Speaker 5>we do it together. So you're a part of a

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<v Speaker 5>community of one hundred people in journalism, people in the courtroom,

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<v Speaker 5>people with microphones themselves, people making films, scientists, CEOs. I'm

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<v Speaker 5>really proud of the list. I think it really reflects

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<v Speaker 5>the diversity of it.

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<v Speaker 4>And you know what, you might see some people on

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<v Speaker 4>the list and.

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<v Speaker 5>Be like, I don't really like them, and I don't

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<v Speaker 5>care because guess what, they're still doing great work that

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<v Speaker 5>they're doing, and we need.

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<v Speaker 4>To acknowledge them as well. As you said black people,

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<v Speaker 4>that's right, Yeah, that's right.

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<v Speaker 8>And then on the other side of the business side

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<v Speaker 8>of it, right, the funding, like I heard Oprah talk

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<v Speaker 8>about her own was like the hardest thing she's ever done.

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<v Speaker 8>The same thing with Revolt, because it's just hard to

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<v Speaker 8>get advertised to give money to black media spaces.

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<v Speaker 7>What's going to be your plan in the fight for that?

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<v Speaker 5>Yeah, I mean it's definitely something that I wake up

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<v Speaker 5>thinking about and go to bed thinking about.

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<v Speaker 4>But I think the product has to speak for itself.

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<v Speaker 5>Ten million visits unique visits every month is nothing to sneeze.

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<v Speaker 5>That is, that is that is one of the most

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<v Speaker 5>trafficed news sites, but particularly black news sites in our country.

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<v Speaker 5>So it is a profitable business and I see a

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<v Speaker 5>vision on how we could grow. But again, it's also

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<v Speaker 5>on the product and the content. So you said, what

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<v Speaker 5>am I going to do next with it? Video is

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<v Speaker 5>one thing, but we have some offline activations that we

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<v Speaker 5>want to do because like it's one thing that you know,

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<v Speaker 5>I heard you all covering the AI piece, right, It's

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<v Speaker 5>like it's one thing to see something, but to actually

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<v Speaker 5>be in relationship proximate to the person is important. So

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<v Speaker 5>we think our products, the things that we're going to

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<v Speaker 5>be rolling out soon, the voices that we're going to

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<v Speaker 5>be having at the root, will sell itself.

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<v Speaker 2>Well. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

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<v Speaker 4>Congratulations, thank you, thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>It's Ashley Allison. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning, every day.

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<v Speaker 1>Up the Breakfast Club. You don't finish for y'all done,