We are just a couple of days away from what will be the flyest NYC party of the year! The Root 100 gala will be held on Dec. 3 at Gotham Hall in New York, and The Root’s owner, Ashley Allison, has been busy handing out flowers to our honorees and inviting them to the bash.
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When the list of honorees was first announced at the start of the month, Allison stopped by the CBS studios to hand Gayle King a beautiful bouquet, and we have the footage.
This year, Gayle King made the list not only for being media royalty but also for her outstanding achievements as a journalist. In April, King launched into the boundary of space on a Blue Origin flight with an all-female crew of six, including pop star Katy Perry and journalist Lauren Sánchez.
Although King received some initial backlash for the flight, as folks called her “out of touch” for going on the trip, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, King stressed that what the Blue Origin flight did to inspire women and young girls cannot be ignored.
“What it’s doing to inspire women and young girls, please don’t ignore that. I’ve had so many women and young girls reach out to me, and men, too, by the way, that say, ‘Wow, I never thought that I could do that, but I see you doing it.’ At this stage of my life, who would’ve thunk it, not me, and how inspired they are.”
King’s 11-minute flight to the borders of the earth served as an inspiring reminder that not everything is as unreachable as it seems. However, even with a dazzling resumé, a brush with the stars, and three Emmy Awards to her name, King still did not see The Root 100 honoring her this year.
“I was so surprised when they surprised me on TV this morning. I couldn’t believe it. Thank you, The Root! Thank you,” King said to Allison as she was handed her flowers. “I’m so excited to be on the list. I also think it’s great, no rankings, so everybody’s equal! …I’m just thrilled to be on the list,” King told Allison.
This year, for The Root 100, we decided to shake things up by removing our previous ranking to celebrate each honoree equally. Every person on the list, whether journalist, pop star, activist, or actor, has made important contributions to uplift the Black community, which cannot be overlooked. And as Ashley Allison said while giving King her invitation, King is a “living legend,” and that is why we at The Root honor media queen Gayle King.
You can watch the video of Gayle King finding out she made The Root 100 live on “CBS Mornings” below:
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