Courtesy of GSU Communications
Emmy Award–winning journalist, author, and media entrepreneur Jemele Hill will deliver the Fall 2025 Commencement address at Grambling State University on Friday, December 5, at 10 a.m. in the Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
Hill, co-founder of Lodge Freeway Media and contributing writer for The Atlantic, has spent more than 20 years shaping national conversations around sports, culture, and politics. Her work has earned multiple honors, including an Emmy Award and two NAACP Image Awards.
She is the author of UPHILL: A Memoir, published by Henry Holt and Company, which chronicles her Detroit upbringing, her journey into journalism, and the experiences that shaped her voice and advocacy.
Hill’s two-time Webby Award–winning Spotify podcast, “Jemele Hill is Unbothered,” features candid conversations with cultural and political leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, Gabrielle Union, and Issa Rae. She also serves as executive producer of Colin Kaepernick’s forthcoming ESPN documentary directed by Spike Lee. In addition, she is developing a comedy series with actress Gabrielle Union.
Her journalism career includes a significant tenure at ESPN, where she appeared on SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, and Outside the Lines. Hill also co-hosted His & Hers and later co-anchored the 6 p.m. SportsCenter. Prior to ESPN, she made history as the only African American female daily sports columnist at a North American newspaper during her time at The Orlando Sentinel. Hill has also reported for the Detroit Free Press and The Raleigh News & Observer.
“Jemele Hill embodies courage, conviction, and a commitment to truth that mirrors the very best of the very best of what our graduates carry into the world,” said Dr. Martin Lemelle, Jr., President of Grambling State University. “Her voice has informed culture, challenged conventional thinking, and inspired a generation to lead with purpose.”
