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About Natasha S. Alford

Natasha S. Alford is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and media executive who uses the power of storytelling to inspire and inform. As the Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer of theGrio, she leads a national newsroom dedicated to amplifying overlooked narratives and reporting on critical issues impacting the Black community. 

A versatile creator, Natasha is the executive producer and director of the Amazon Prime Video documentary Afro-Latinx Revolution: Puerto Rico (2020), which explores the complexities of Afro-Latino identity. In 2024, she published her critically acclaimed memoir, American Negra (HarperCollins), which earned an International Latino Book Award and reflects on her journey navigating race, identity, and a career in media.

Before her executive leadership roles, Natasha was a general assignment reporter for WROC-TV and an educator with Teach For America. Her work has been featured in major outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Vogue, and Oprah Daily. Recognized for her impact, she was named "Emerging Journalist of the Year" by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in 2018.
Areas of Expertise

Digital Media Leadership & Strategy
Afro-Latino Identity & Diaspora Stories
Political Analysis & Social Justice
Documentary Filmmaking & Production
Memoir & Narrative Non-Fiction Writing

Professional Experience

Senior Vice President & Chief Content Officer — theGrio (Present)
Political Analyst — CNN (2019–Present)
Vice President of Digital Content — theGrio (2019–2024)
Adjunct Assistant Professor — Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
General Assignment Reporter — WROC-TV (Rochester, NY)

Education

Master of Public Policy (MPP) — Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs
Master of Science in Broadcast Journalism — Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism

Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies — Harvard University

Follow her on social media at @natashasalford across all platforms.

All Articles

April 9, 2026
Producer Will Packer told TheGrio why his Italy-set romantic comedy starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page is exactly the Black…
March 23, 2026
Nekima Levy-Armstrong, the Minneapolis activist who helped spark Target boycott, says the fight isn't over after Jamal Bryant's announcement.
March 20, 2026
TheGrio sat down with Nina Turner and Tamika Mallory to find out what happened when Pastor Jamal Bryant's Target fast…
February 27, 2026
Bryan Stevenson built the Elevation Convening Center and Hotel in Montgomery— a space for visitors processing America’s civil rights history.
February 25, 2026
In an exclusive interview with theGrio, Tayari Jones reflects on the seven-year journey behind “KIN,” Oprah’s latest Book Club pick,…
February 10, 2026
Gata explains why Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show resonated so deeply with Black audiences across the diaspora.
February 6, 2026
The acclaimed lawyer and author of “Just Mercy,” sits with theGrio in Montgomery, Alabama to discuss The Legacy Sites and
Amy Dubois Barnett, If I Ruled The World, Amy DuBois Barnett Hulu
January 21, 2026
Amy DuBois Barnett speaks with theGrio about ambition, redemption, and writing the novel she carried for decades. The ’90s and early
December 11, 2025
From beloved classics to fresh new releases, these stories written by Black authors deserve to go under the Christmas tree.
November 20, 2025
Mitchelville Freedom Park honors a groundbreaking Black town where freedmen built and educated themselves long before Reconstruction.
November 18, 2025
Black-owned bank OneUnited has launched WiseOne, a new AI money coach designed to help users manage their finances
October 21, 2025
Reginald Hudlin, the legendary writer Marvel’s Black Panther comics, reflects on Wakanda, and inspiring a new generation of Black.
Jab Jab Grenada
September 26, 2025
Grenada’s Jab Jab at Spicemas flips demonization into defiance, showing why more Black people are traveling there to celebrate freedom.
September 12, 2025
This week, Dr. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., condemned the killing of conservative influencer Charlie
September 12, 2025
“Other Suns,” an immersive film screening in Washington, D.C. by director Sea Mahsati, showcased Black independent cinema.
Kane Brown
September 9, 2025
Kane Brown reflects on his childhood and identity struggles to country music stardom, inspiring biracial kids on Masters of the…
Trymaine Lee, A Thousand Ways To Die
September 8, 2025
In his book “A Thousand Ways to Die,” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Trymaine Lee, documents the cost of gun violence on…
September 5, 2025
Pioneering journalist Roland Martin sat with theGrio to unpack how DEI attacks have hurt Black journalists and newsrooms.
August 20, 2025
Spike Lee opens up about why he highlights Black and Puerto Rican unity in his films, and his latest project…
August 18, 2025
Barack Obama’s call to Zohran Mamdani after his NYC Democratic primary win highlights the rising progressive’s momentum.