AMERICA AMENDED Docuseries to Premiere on The Root's YouTube

One year after Ashley Allison acquired The Root through Watering Hole Media and brought the publication to Black ownership, The Root and Watering Hole Media have announced a new six-episode docuseries: America Amended. The announcement marks the next chapter in Allison's vision for the publication, expanding its original storytelling while honoring its history as a platform for Black perspectives on news, politics, and culture.

Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Trymaine Lee, America Amended is a six-episode docuseries exploring a question with significance across American life: After 250 years, what do our constitutional rights mean beyond the words on the pages? Through the experiences of Black Americans, the series examines the distance between a legal promise and lived reality. Each episode pairs a constitutional amendment with a city and a cultural lens, following the people and institutions that fought to make those rights real.

By grounding constitutional history in the lives of people and communities, America Amended connects the nation's founding promises to the choices Americans face today. Its stories invite audiences to consider who can exercise those rights, what barriers remain, and how communities are closing the gap.

America Amended premieres Sunday 10/11 at 12 PM ET on The Root's YouTube channel.

For Ashley Allison, CNN political commentator, publisher of The Root, and founder of Watering Hole Media, the anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on the responsibility of leading an established publication while building its future. Her first year has included reimagining The Root 100, expanding into live events, exclusive interviews, and programming bringing The Root closer to the people and issues shaping the news.

'I acquired The Root to build on its legacy and invest in the future of Black journalism,' said Allison. 'One year later, we're expanding original reporting, backing independent creators, and building new avenues to reach and grow our audiences. America Amended reflects that ambition: rigorous storytelling that puts Black Americans at the center of the debate over this country's promises and its future. We're growing The Root with the reach, credibility, and independence to meet this moment.'

Under Allison's ownership, The Root is meeting the moment by pairing its commitment to journalism with investments in new media and independent voices. The publication has launched a creator cohort featuring more than 50 Black creators whose content has generated 100 million views, expanding its reach and creating new opportunities for Black storytellers.

The Root is also bolstering its political vertical with original reporting and new media content, including a new series, offering candid, behind-the-scenes access to candidates and voters ahead of the upcoming midterm and presidential elections. Going beyond campaign talking points and daily headlines, the series will center Black perspectives and bring audiences closer to the people, candidates, conversations, and communities shaping the country's political future.

America Amended builds on that work, reflecting Allison's investment in original storytelling that connects history, culture, and public life. Together, these efforts advance Allison's vision for an independent Black media platform that earns its audience's trust and creates room for more voices to be heard.

Looking ahead, The Root 100's 2026 honorees will be announced in November, followed by the annual celebration on December 12th in New York. The distinction recognizes influential Black leaders, creatives, and changemakers shaping culture, business, entertainment, politics, and their communities.

America Amended Episodes

Detroit | 1st Amendment: Voice, expression, and the freedoms that allow communities to be heard.

Atlanta | 2nd Amendment: The right to keep and bear arms, examined through questions of safety.

Milwaukee | 13th Amendment: Freedom, the abolition of slavery, and the amendment's exception for punishment following a criminal conviction.

Houston | 14th Amendment: Citizenship and belonging.

Philadelphia | 15th Amendment: Voting rights and political power.

Jackson, Mississippi | 19th Amendment: Black women's political agency and the struggle to exercise the right to vote.