A-list stars, great music and Black excellence perfectly describe this year’s The Root 100 celebration. The event took place at the legendary Gotham Hall in New York City, and between the special guests, emotional speeches and gorgeous decorations, we practically brought down the roof with all of our partying! This year’s Root 100 returned even bigger and better than ever before. But if you missed out on all of the fun, don’t worry! Here’s five major highlights.
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A Martell Toast
The night was sponsored by cognac house Martell, who kept the drinks flowing and the vibes at an all time high. Jasmin Goldstein, a rep for Martell and friend of The Root, raised a toast to “a group of change makers who embody the essence of our values.” She then gave the crowd a brief history of the oldest cognac brand in America before continuing.
“Martell’s origin of redefining convention and celebrating those who defy expectations is especially fitting as we honor the 2025 most influential Black Americans here tonight.” Goldstein then led a toast to The Root 100 stars adding that “where audacity leads, legacy will follow.”
Gayle King, Don Lemon, Tamron Hall and Abby Phillip Embrace
Gayle King, Don Lemon, Tamron Hall and Abby Phillip were all honored at The Root 100 as Black media icons. They shared a special moment on stage after speaking about the importance of Black news and storytelling.
“Our stories are one of the most powerful tools we have because they are about the truth– they tell the truth,” journalist Phillip began on stage. The four leading figures in Black media are the definition of defiance and Black excellence. Given the current state of politics in this country, they each stressed that Black voices are needed now more than ever.
Doug E. Fresh Gets the Crowd Lit!
Ain’t no party like The Root 100 party! Iconic rapper Doug E. Fresh also took the stage to close out the night with an amazing performance. The world knows him as the original human beatbox, and on stage, he definitely lived up to the title! In fact, he beatboxed for over two minutes straight. You just had to be there.
Ashley Allison Speaks
The Root’s publisher, Ashley Allison, was brought to the stage with a standing ovation. Her speech was powerful, encouraging the audience to find their purpose and “understand their assignment.” She even commanded the room to shift from competition to more collaboration.
“There are 100 bold, brilliant, bodacious, bright, brave, boundless, blazing, Black beacons of justice, truth, courage and strength that not only took their assignment seriously, [but] they aced the test,” Allison said of the honorees. She then talked directly to Black folks in the audience who might feel discouraged under the weight of the world right now.
“Sometimes it feels like this world is actually impossible, but I gotta tell you something,” she began. “This is not how our story ends.”
Surprise ‘Boots on the Ground’ Performance
And right after Allison’s inspiring speech, rapper 803Fresh surprised the crowd with a live performance of his hit song “Boots on the Ground.” The rapper jumped off stage and into the crowd asking that very important question– “Where them fans at?!” before kicking off a night of dancing and great vibes.
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