Jemele Hill discussed topics ranging from Chipotle and relationships to sports and culture at N.C A&T’s first Chancellor’s Speaker Series last week.
The reference was made to a tweet Hill made on how people should know how strong their relationships are in a conversation about the effects of social media.
“If you want to know how good your relationship is, ask your significant other if they know your chipotle order by memory,” Hill tweeted.
Hill is a former columnist and anchor of Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) on the six o’clock edition of Sportscenter. Alongside her co-anchor and friend Michael Smith, the two brought a new, more engaging style to the show.
Earlier this year, Hill was named the 2018 Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists. She has been a sports journalist for over 20 years, but her fame soared after she went viral for a series of tweets regarding President Donald Trump.
In partnership with former A&T football player Darryl Klugh, who moderated the event, they discussed the topic of Self Expression and Sports. This is a topic that is all too familiar to Hill.
The duo’s hour-long conversation pinpointed sports, social media and life after sports.
“The two most respected athletes today are Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James. Athletes feel more encouraged to have a voice,” said Hill.
With Colin Kaepernick’s Nike campaign being at the top of the headlines for the last week, it continued the conversation of the intersection of sports and politics. Hill discussed how this new generation of athletes are using their platforms to shed light on issues unlike some athletes, who have came before them.
“A lot of athletes feel activated. They feel they are missing out if they are not involved,” said Hill.
Hill also discussed how Nike’s decision to use Kaepernick as the face for the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” advertisement was not a moral decision, but a business move. Due to the ad, many committed to boycotting Nike. Despite this boycott, Nike’s stock still increased as the ad gained the company almost $200 million in media exposure.
Like her knowledge of sports, Hill is knowledgeable about social media though she referred to herself as a social media immigrant. Hill is known for witty comebacks and elaborate tweets.
Hill once referred to President Trump as a white supremacist on Twitter, and she never thought it would receive as much attention as it did. Hill stated she does not regret the situation one bit, but she told all the future journalists in the room to not do the same.
“It was like being caught in a rabbit hole, in a back and forth with someone who did not have any sense,” said Hill.
Since many student-athletes begin to realize their days of playing college sports will come to an end after graduation, Hill provided them some advice on how to navigate life after sports.
She encouraged student-athletes to pursue careers in sports journalism, sports marketing, and sports management in order for them to continue to be close to the thing they love. In addition, Hill encouraged student-athletes to try to take full advantage of different opportunities on campus even with their busy schedules.
“There is too much emphasis on African-American athletes going professional and not enough spent on helping them parlay their athletic success with a sports career,” said Hill.
Now that Hill’s 12-year reign at ESPN is over, she is now working on her own production company with friend and former colleague, Kelley Carter.
Hill and Carter are in the works of producing a series of scripted and non-scripted shows and documentaries. Hill also has been announced as the narrator for LeBron James’ Showtime “Shut Up and Dribble” series.
Even with her new ventures, Hill promises she will never fully leave her sports journalism roots.
“People do not watch the news to be informed. They watch to confirm what they already believe,” said Hill.
