Jemele Hill, an American journalist, dedicated nearly twelve years to her work at the ESPN network. She held positions as a sports commentator and columnist for ESPN.com’s page 2. Additionally, she is a contributor to ‘The Atlantic’ magazine as a writer.
Early Life & Education
Jemele Juanita Hill, born on December 21, 1975, in Detroit, Michigan, was raised by her mother until their move to Houston in 1980. They later returned to Detroit, where Jemele completed her education at Mumford High School. She went on to graduate from Michigan State University in 1997.
Jemele Hill started off her professional journey as a writer at the “Raleigh News & Observer.” She later moved on to become a sports journalist at the “Detroit Free Press,” focusing primarily on football and basketball at Michigan State University.
She also reported on the 2004 Summer Olympics and NBA playoffs. Hill then transitioned to working as a columnist at the “Orlando Sentinel” from 2005 to 2006.
Jemele Hill’s Career
In 2006, Jemele Hill became a national columnist for ESPN.com and began appearing on their TV programs “First Take,” “Outside the Lines,” and “The Sports Reporters.”
She then joined forces with Michael Smith for the podcast “His & Hers,” which gained widespread popularity. As a result, Jemele was also added to Smith’s ESPN 2 show, “Numbers Never Lie,” in 2013. The show was later renamed “His & Hers” in 2014.
In 2017, Jemele Hill and Michael Smith took on the role of evening anchors for “SportsCenter.” However, due to several controversial incidents and multiple breaches of ESPN’s social media policies, it was revealed that Jemele would be leaving her position as anchor for “SC6” in January 2018. She would instead be taking on a new role at the company’s website, “The Undefeated.”
Jemele Hill became a staff writer for “The Atlantic” magazine in October 2018. The following year, she debuted her podcast, “Jemele Hill is Unbothered,” which delves into topics such as sports, culture, and politics.
In 2020, Hill teamed up with Van Lathan for a twice-weekly podcast called “Way Down in the Hole” on “The Ringer.” She also began co-hosting “Cari & Jemele (Won’t) Stick to Sports” on Vice in the same year.
In 2021, Jemele Hill took on the role of herself in the sports drama “National Champions,” and the following year, she was chosen to appear in the Showtime documentary series “Everything’s Gonna Be All White.”
In 2007, Jemele Hill was the first recipient of the McKenzie Cup, presented at the Poynter Media Summit as a tribute to sports editor Van McKenzie. The National Association of Black Journalists named Hill the Journalist of the Year in 2018.
Furthermore, in 2019, she was recognized as one of Worth’s 21 Most Powerful Women in the Business of Sports. Most recently, Hill was the featured speaker at Illinois State University’s 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Dinner.
Controversy
Jemele Hill has faced controversy multiple times and was even suspended for a week for mentioning Adolf Hitler as a reason for not supporting the Boston Celtics.
She also faced backlash for comparing coach John Calipari to Charles Manson. Additionally, Jemele Hill accused baseball player Sammy Sosa of being discriminatory for lightening his skin tone.
Personal Life
Jemele Hill, a sports journalist, is married to Ian Wallace. She and her husband, Ian Wallace, chose Monarch Beach Resort in California as the venue for their beautiful wedding in 2019. The couple made sure to honor their hometown of Detroit throughout the entire process leading up to their marriage.
Jemele and Ian were considering several options for their wedding venue. They were torn between having a destination wedding or a ceremony in Detroit. However, since they had recently relocated to Los Angeles, they ultimately agreed to have the ceremony in their new home city as a compromise.
Net Worth
Jemele Hill, a prominent American sports journalist, has amassed a fortune of $4 million. She is renowned for her role as a commentator and sports personality on various ESPN programs and earns a yearly income of $1 million from her work at the network.
