Jemele Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jemele Hill
Hill in 2020
Born	Jemele Juanita Hill (1975-12-21) December 21, 1975 (age 49) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Education	Michigan State University (BA)
Occupation	Sports journalist
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Ian Wallace ​ (m. 2019)​

Jemele Hill (born December 21, 1975) is an American sports journalist. She has worked for several newspapers, including the Raleigh News & Observer and the Detroit Free Press. Jemele Hill joined ESPN in 2006. She worked in many different roles there. From 2017 to 2018, she co-hosted SC6, which was the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN's main show, SportsCenter.

In 2017, she caused some discussion with her tweets. She shared strong opinions about President Donald Trump. She was later suspended for two weeks. This happened because she suggested that fans of the Dallas Cowboys should boycott the team's sponsors. This was in response to the team owner's views on players kneeling during the national anthem.

Jemele Hill won an Emmy Award in 2017 for a news special. In 2018, she left SC6 and later left ESPN. She then became a writer for The Atlantic magazine. She also co-hosted a show called Cari & Jemele (Won't) Stick to Sports. Hill is also a co-founder of a film and TV company. She published her book, Uphill: A Memoir, in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Jemele Hill was born in Detroit on December 21, 1975. She was raised by her mother. She and her mother moved to Houston in 1980. Later, they moved back to Detroit. Hill graduated from Mumford High School in 1993. She then went to Michigan State University, graduating in 1997.

Career Journey

Newspaper Work

Jemele Hill started her career as a sports writer. She worked for the Raleigh News & Observer. From 1999 to 2005, she was a sports writer for the Detroit Free Press. There, she mainly covered Michigan State football and basketball. She also covered the 2004 Summer Olympics and the NBA playoffs. From 2005 to 2006, Hill worked as a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel.

Time at ESPN

Jemele Hill at Web Summit in 2018

Jemele Hill joined ESPN in November 2006. She became a national columnist for ESPN.com. She often appeared on TV shows like SportsCenter. She was also on programs such as ESPN First Take and Outside the Lines.

During the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Hill was suspended from her job for one week. This happened after she made a comparison in an article that caused a lot of upset. She later wrote that she felt very embarrassed about it. She also said that her suspension from ESPN was "a punishment that I deserved." In July 2020, she wrote a long article explaining her deep regret for the comparison.

His & Hers Show

In 2011, Jemele Hill and Michael Smith started a podcast called His & Hers. It became very popular. Because of its success, ESPN added Hill to Smith's show Numbers Never Lie in 2013. The show was renamed His & Hers a year later.

The show covered sports, but also talked about social topics and pop culture. This included favorite TV shows and music. Writers noted that Hill and Smith often agreed. They did not argue just to make exciting TV. Instead, they had a lot of energy and worked well together. His & Hers ran until January 2017.

SportsCenter Role

On February 6, 2017, Hill and Michael Smith became evening anchors for ESPN's main show, SportsCenter. Their show aired at 6 p.m. and was called "SC6 with Michael and Jemele". The new show was expected to focus on their strong teamwork and personalities. This was different from the traditional Sportscenter, which mostly showed highlights.

On September 11, 2017, Hill made several tweets. She shared strong opinions about President Donald Trump. ESPN released a statement saying her comments did not represent ESPN's views. They said they had talked to Jemele, and she understood her actions were not appropriate. Hill later said she stood by her personal beliefs. She regretted that her comments made ESPN look bad. Some people criticized Hill's comments. Others supported her. They argued that her comments were accurate.

On October 9, 2017, ESPN suspended Hill for two weeks. This was for a "second violation of our social media guidelines". Hill had suggested that fans who were upset with Jerry Jones should boycott the advertisers who support Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. On January 25, 2018, ESPN announced that Hill would leave SC6. She started a new role at The Undefeated. This is ESPN's website that covers sports and race.

Writing for The Atlantic

On October 1, 2018, The Atlantic magazine announced that Jemele Hill was joining them. She became a staff writer for the magazine.

Podcast Projects

On April 15, 2019, Hill launched her podcast, Jemele Hill is Unbothered. This podcast covers sports, politics, and culture. New episodes are released twice a week on Spotify. Hill says her podcast talks about how sports connect with race, gender, and politics.

In 2020, Hill started another podcast with Van Lathan. It is called Way Down in the Hole and is on The Ringer. This podcast discusses each episode of HBO's The Wire.

Film and Television Work

Jemele Hill is a co-founder of a film and television production company. It is called Lodge Freeway Media.

In August 2020, Hill began co-hosting Cari & Jemele (Won't) Stick to Sports. She hosted this show with Cari Champion on the Vice on TV network. She also played herself in the 2021 sports drama film National Champions.

In February 2022, she was part of the documentary series Everything's Gonna Be All White. This series aired on Showtime.

Honors and Awards

In 2007, Jemele Hill won the first McKenzie Cup. This award honors sports editor Van McKenzie. It is given at the annual Poynter Media Summit.

In 2017, she won an Emmy for Outstanding News Special. This was for the ABC News Special The President and The People.

In 2018, Hill was named journalist of the year by the National Association of Black Journalists. This award recognized her important work. In 2019, she was named one of Worth magazine's 21 Most Powerful Women in the Business of Sports. She was also a main speaker at the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Dinner. This event was held at Illinois State University.

Filmography

Published Works

• Uphill: A Memoir, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2022.